Bob Marella
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".
76 acting credits
Acting · 76

Raw
1993

WWF Wrestling Challenge
1986

WWE Pay Per View
1985

WWE Old School
1973

Mr. McMahon
2024

WWF Prime Time Wrestling
1985

Tuesday Night Titans
1984

WWE: Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology
2006

WWE: Top 50 Superstars of All Time
2010

Andre the Giant
2018

WWE: The Best of Raw 15th Anniversary
2007

WWE SummerSlam 1997
1997

WWE: Undertaker 20-0 - The Streak
2012

Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows
1998

WWE Sunday Night Slam
1994

WWE Hall Of Fame 1995
1995

WWE WrestleFest '93
1993

WWE In Your House 15: A Cold Day in Hell
1997

WWE Survivor Series 1990
1990

Hulkamania 6
1991

WWE SummerSlam Spectacular 1993
1993

The Life and Times of Captain Lou Albano
1986

The Brains Behind the Brawn
1989

WWE UK Rampage '92
1992

Biography: Wrestlemania I
2022

WWE Paul Bearer's Hits From the Crypt
1994

WWE Battle Royal at the Albert Hall
1991

Rowdy Roddy Piper's Greatest Hits
1985

Villains of the Squared Circle
1986

The Best of the WWF: volume 20
1989

The British Bulldogs
1986

WWF Sunday Night Slam • November 20th, 1994
1994

Bret "Hit Man" Hart
1994

Wrestling's Most Embarrassing Moments
1987

WWE Bashed in the USA
1993

WWE Crunch Classic
1992

Wrestling's Bloopers, Bleeps, & Bodyslams
1985
WWE March to WrestleMania VIII
1992

WWE Hall Of Fame 1996
1996

WWE World Tour 1992
1992

WWF Hulkamania 2
1987

German Fan Favorites
1994

WWE SuperTape: Volume 4
1991

Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat
1986

The Best of the WWF: volume 13
1987

WWE UK Fan Favorites 1993
1993

WWE Bloopers Bleeps and Bodyslams
1994

Razor Ramon
1994

WWE SuperTape: Volume 1
1990

The Best of the WWF: volume 12
1987
WWE at Madison Square Garden: October 17, 1983
1983

Wrestling's Biggest, Smallest, Strangest, Strongest!
1985

WWE: Shawn Michaels - Boyhood Dream
2004
Wrestling's Living Legend Bruno Sammartino
1986

WWE Grudge Match
1986

The Ultimate Warrior
1989

WWE Funniest Moments
1991

WWE March to WrestleMania X
1994

The WWF's Amazing Managers
1985

Demolition: Witness the Power
1989

Inside the Steel Cage
1986

The WWF's Even More Unusual Matches
1987

The Undertaker
1994

George "The Animal" Steele
1987

WWE Smack 'Em Whack 'Em
1993

Wrestling Superheroes
1990

The Best of the WWF: volume 14
1987

The Hulkster Hulk Hogan
1985

WWE Hall Of Fame 1994
1994
WWE at Madison Square Garden: June 30, 1973
1973

Jake "The Snake" Roberts
1987

Tag Team Champions
1986

The Ultimate Warrior
1992

The Super Bowl of Wrestling
1978

Wrestling Tough Guys
1990

Women of the WWF
1988