1937-06-04 Rochester, New York, USA
Robert James Marella better known by his ring name of Gorilla Monsoon, was an American professional wrestler, play-by-play commentator, and booker. Monsoon is famous for his run as a super-heavyweight main eventer, and later as the voice of WWE, as commentator and backstage manager during the 1980s and 1990s. He also portrayed the on-screen role of WWE President from 1995 to 1997. In professional wrestling, the staging area just behind the entrance curtain at an event, a position which Marella established and where he could often be found during WWE shows late in his career, is named the "Gorilla Position" in his honor. Although remembered fondly by many viewers, Monsoon was voted Worst Television Announcer a record six times by readers of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter in the publication's annual awards poll. Marella was married to his wife, Maureen, for more than 40 years and had three children: Sharon (born 1960), Joey (adopted, 1963–1994), and Valerie (born 1966). Victor Quinones (1959-2006) was listed in Gorilla's obituary as his son as well. This was never confirmed officially by Gorilla but the Marella family has acknowledged this after Gorilla's death. Along with Linda McMahon, Marella was considered as a possible replacement for Vince McMahon as the owner of WWE if McMahon had been found guilty during his 1994 legal trial for illegal steroid use in the company. On July 4, 1994, his adopted son, Joey Marella, fell asleep at the wheel and died in a car accident on the New Jersey Turnpike, while returning from refereeing a WWE event in Ocean City, Maryland. He was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash. For years, Marella had a custom New Jersey license plate which read "kayfabe Death and legacy Marella died on October 6, 1999, of heart failure brought on by complications of diabetes, at his home in Willingboro Township, New Jersey. He was 62 years old. In a tribute that aired on October 11, 1999, on an episode of Raw Is War from the Georgia Dome, McMahon described Marella as "one of the greatest men I have ever known." He is interred next to his son, Joey Marella, at Lakeview Memorial Park in Cinnaminson, New Jersey. WCW commentator Tony Schiavone acknowledged Marella's death on the October 11, 1999, episode of WCW Monday Nitro. Bobby Heenan insisted on doing a tribute to Marella, even though Marella never worked for WCW. Heenan said on-air: "Gorilla will be sadly missed. Now he was one big tough man. He was a decent honest man. And we're all gonna miss him very much. And you know the pearly gates in heaven? It's now gonna be called 'the Gorilla position.' Goodbye, my friend." Robert Marella was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, class of 1994, on June 9. When Heenan was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2004, he ended his acceptance speech with a very emotional, "There's only one thing missing, I wish Monsoon was here." In 2007, when Anthony Carelli made his debut with WWE, as a tribute to Marella, he was given the ring name "Santino Marella".
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Biography: Wrestlemania I | Self (archival footage) | 2022-09-04 |
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Andre the Giant | Self (voice) (archive footage) | 2018-04-10 |
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WWE: Undertaker 20-0 - The Streak | Gorilla Monsoon (archive footage) | 2012-07-23 |
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WWE: Top 50 Superstars of All Time | Gorilla Monsoon | 2010-12-07 |
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WWE: The Best of Raw 15th Anniversary | Gorilla Monsoon | 2007-12-26 |
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WWE: Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology | Gorilla Monsoon | 2006-10-17 |
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WWE: Shawn Michaels - Boyhood Dream | Gorilla Monsoon | 2004-09-14 |
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Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows | Gorilla Monsoon (archive footage) | 1998-12-20 |
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WWE In Your House 15: A Cold Day in Hell | Gorilla Monsoon (WWE President) | 1997-05-11 |
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WWE SummerSlam 1997 | Gorilla Monsoon | 1997-08-02 |
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WWE Hall Of Fame 1996 | Self | 1996-11-16 |
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WWE Hall Of Fame 1995 | Self | 1995-06-25 |
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WWE March to WrestleMania X | Gorilla Monsoon | 1994-03-13 |
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WWE Hall Of Fame 1994 | Gorilla Monsoon | 1994-06-09 |
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Paul Bearer's Hits From the Crypt | Gorilla Monsoon | 1994-12-14 |
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German Fan Favorites | Gorilla Monsoon | 1994-10-24 |
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WWE Bloopers Bleeps and Bodyslams | Gorilla Monsoon (Host) | 1994-06-29 |
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WWF Sunday Night Slam • November 20th, 1994 | Gorilla Monsoon | 1994-11-20 |
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Razor Ramon | Gorilla Monsoon | 1994-10-05 |
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Bret "Hit Man" Hart | Gorilla Monsoon | 1994-08-10 |
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The Undertaker | Gorilla Monsoon | 1994-07-05 |
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WWE SummerSlam Spectacular 1993 | Gorilla Monsoon | 1993-08-22 |
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WWE UK Fan Favorites 1993 | Gorilla Monsoon | 1993-08-09 |
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Smack 'Em Whack 'Em | Gorilla Monsoon | 1993-04-22 |
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WWE Bashed in the USA | Gorilla Monsoon (Commentator) | 1993-06-23 |
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WWE WrestleFest '93 | Gorilla Monsoon - Commentator | 1993-03-20 |
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The Ultimate Warrior | Gorilla Monsoon | 1992-11-05 |
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WWE World Tour 1992 | Gorilla Monsoon | 1992-08-27 |
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WWE Crunch Classic | Gorilla Monsoon | 1992-05-28 |
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WWE UK Rampage '92 | Gorilla Monsoon | 1992-04-14 |
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Hulkamania 6 | Gorilla Monsoon - Commentator | 1991-11-28 |
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WWE SuperTape: Volume 4 | Gorilla Monsoon | 1991-05-23 |
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WWE Battle Royal at the Albert Hall | Gorila Monsoon (Commentator) | 1991-10-03 |
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WWE Funniest Moments | Gorilla Monsoon | 1991-02-27 |
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Wrestling Tough Guys | Gorilla Monsoon | 1990-09-27 |
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Wrestling Superheroes | Gorilla Monsoon | 1990-03-21 |
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WWE SuperTape: Volume 1 | Gorilla Monsoon | 1990-03-21 |
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WWE Survivor Series 1990 | Gorilla Monsoon | 1990-11-22 |
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The Ultimate Warrior | Gorilla Monsoon (Commentator) | 1989-06-28 |
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The Brains Behind the Brawn | Gorilla Monsoon | 1989-03-15 |
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Demolition: Witness the Power | Gorilla Monsoon - Commentator | 1989-08-09 |
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WrestleMania IV (Duplicated) | Gorilla Monsoon - Commentator | 1988-03-27 |
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WWF Hulkamania 2 | Gorilla Monsoon | 1987-05-01 |
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Wrestling's Most Embarrassing Moments | Gorilla Monsoon | 1987-12-15 |
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The Best of the WWF: volume 12 | Gorilla Monsoon | 1987-08-15 |
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Jake "The Snake" Roberts | Gorilla Monsoon | 1987-08-19 |
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The Best of the WWF: volume 14 | Gorilla Monsoon | 1987-12-15 |
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George "The Animal" Steele | Gorilla Monsoon | 1987-12-15 |
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The Best of the WWF: volume 13 | Gorilla Monsoon - Commentator | 1987-10-28 |
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WrestleMania III (Duplicated) | Gorilla Monsoon - Commentator | 1987-03-29 |
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The WWF's Even More Unusual Matches | Gorilla Monsoon - Commentator | 1987-02-01 |
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WWE Grudge Match | Gorilla Monsoon | 1986-03-27 |
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Villains of the Squared Circle | Gorilla Monsoon | 1986-06-06 |
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Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat | Gorilla Monsoon | 1986-05-02 |
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The Life and Times of Captain Lou Albano | Gorilla Monsoon | 1986-03-08 |
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Inside the Steel Cage | Gorila Monsoon | 1986-12-11 |
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The British Bulldogs | Gorilla Monsoon | 1986-10-15 |
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Tag Team Champions | Gorilla Monsoon | 1986-03-01 |
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Wrestling's Living Legend Bruno Sammartino | Gorilla Monsoon | 1986-06-06 |
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WrestleMania 2 (Duplicated) | Gorilla Monsoon | 1986-04-07 |
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The Hulkster Hulk Hogan | Gorilla Monsoon | 1985-01-01 |
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Wrestling's Bloopers, Bleeps, & Bodyslams | Gorilla Monsoon | 1985-01-01 |
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The WWF's Amazing Managers | Gorilla Monsoon - Commentator | 1985-12-31 |
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Wrestling's Biggest, Smallest, Strangest, Strongest! | Gorilla Monsoon | 1985-01-01 |
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Rowdy Roddy Piper's Greatest Hits | Gorilla Monsoon | 1985-09-15 |
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WWE at Madison Square Garden: October 17, 1983 | Gorilla Monsoon (Commentary) | 1983-10-17 |
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The Super Bowl of Wrestling | Gorilla Monsoon | 1978-01-25 |
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WWE at Madison Square Garden: June 30, 1973 | Gorilla Monsoon | 1973-07-30 |
