Joey Marella

Joey Marella ([February 28, 1963 - July 4, 1994) was a professional wrestling referee and the adopted son of legendary wrestler and announcer Gorilla Monsoon (Robert Marella) from Willingboro Township, New Jersey. Their relationship was alluded to (mostly through off-handed insults lobbed by Monsoon's commentating partners Jesse Ventura and Bobby Heenan) but never acknowledged on television.

Joey Marella joined the World Wrestling Federation beginning in [1983]] and was often assigned many feature promotion matches. In 1987 he served as the referee for the much-hyped match between Hulk Hogan and André the Giant at WrestleMania III, as well as the 1992 SummerSlam main event of Bret Hart vs. Davey Boy Smith. He was also part of the controversy at the 1994 Royal Rumble match in which he and former WWF referee Earl Hebner couldn't decide who between Lex Luger and Bret Hart had won the match.

He died on July 4, 1994, after he fell asleep at the wheel and crashed while driving home on Beverly-Rancocas Road in Willingboro after a night of refereeing WWF matches in Ocean City, Maryland. Bruno Lauer, better known by his ring name Harvey Wippleman, was with him at the time and was slightly injured. Lauer though was wearing a seatbelt while Marella was not.

Championships and accomplishments

 * 2002 Wrestling Informer Referee Hall of Fame inductee