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 WWF television after his death, McMahon described Marella as "one of the greatest men I have ever known."
WCW commentator Tony Schiavone acknowledged Marella's death (at Bobby Heenan's request) on the October 11, 1999 WCW Monday Nitro episode, even though Marella never worked for WCW. Heenan added: "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."
When Heenan was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2004, he said in his acceptance speech, "I wish Monsoon were here."
In 2007, when Anthony Carelli made his debut with the WWE, as a tribute to Marella, he was given the ring name "Santino Marella".
Read more about this topic: Gorilla Monsoon
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