1. Joseph Anthony Marella was an American professional wrestling referee for the World Wrestling Federation and son of former wrestler and then WWF announcer Gorilla Monsoon from Willingboro Township, New Jersey.
11 Facts About Joey Marella
1. 2.
Joey Marella joined the World Wrestling Federation in 1983, and moved through the ranks until he was often assigned to referee feature promotion matches.
3.
Joey Marella was the official for the 1992 SummerSlam main event of Bret Hart vs Davey Boy Smith at London's famous Wembley Stadium.
4.
Joey Marella was briefly suspended for a substance abuse problem in 1993 and then later re-hired.
5.
Joey Marella was part of the controversy at the 1994 Royal Rumble match in which he and former WWF referee Earl Hebner couldn't decide between Lex Luger and Bret Hart as to who had won the match.
6.
Earl Hebner discussed in an interview how Joey Marella was a good person.
7.
Hebner revealed that he was scheduled to referee the last match on a card, but Joey Marella offered to referee the last match so Hebner could get out early and fly home from the nearby Newark Airport.
8.
Joey Marella appeared in the 1989 WWF produced movie No Holds Barred as a referee during a wrestling match.
9.
Joey Marella died in a car accident on July 4,1994, at the age of 31, after he fell asleep at the wheel and crashed into a guardrail and a tree while driving home on the New Jersey Turnpike after a night of refereeing WWF matches in Ocean City, Maryland.
10.
Joey Marella repeatedly asked Marella if he was dead, but never responded.
11.
Joey Marella is buried next to his father Gorilla Monsoon at Lakeview Memorial Park in Cinnaminson, New Jersey.