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PEOPLE & ARTS Thursday 19 april 2018
Professional wrestling great

Bruno Sammartino dies at 82

By DAN GELSTON
AP Sports Writer
He was professional wres-
tling's ultimate good guy.
The son of Italian immi-
grants, Bruno Sammartino
fled the Nazis as a child
and built a career beating
a string of bad guys that In this March 13, 2018, file photo, Robert De Niro attends the
thrilled fans and made him Legacy of Changing Lives Gala at the Ray Dolby Ballroom in Los
reign as the conscientious Angeles.
champ for more than a de- Associated Press
cade.
Before the flash of The Hulk- On opening day of
ster, the electricity of The
Rock and the foul-mouth Tribeca, De Niro
of Stone Cold, all Sammar-
tino required to become In this March 27, 2013, file photo, Bruno Sammartino sits in front
of pictures, panitings and trophies highlighting his storied career
wrestling's biggest box of- as a wrestler and weightlifter, at his home in his North Hills, Pa., directs his ire at Trump
fice draw was a pair of home.
tights, boots and an honest Associated Press
promo that made fans be- By JAKE COYLE De Niro said, referring to
lieve in the most illegitimate ed Press. "Poor, starving im- trunks," Zbyszko said. "I was NEW YORK (AP) — As the Trump. Festival organizers
of sports. Sammartino, pro- migrant kid who escaped going down the highway curtain goes up on the 17th said this year's Tribeca has
fessional wrestling's "Living Nazis. His mother was shot in a new Cadillac with the Tribeca Film Festival, Robert been programmed with
Legend" and one of its lon- over the mountains and windows smashed, the mir- De Niro is using the festival's some of De Niro's pugna-
gest-reigning champions, he came to this country rors hanging, the lights are megawatt spotlight to di- cious spirit, in opposition to
has died. He was 82. starving and achieved the out. It was a different time, rect his considerable ire at the president's policies.
"One of the finest men I American Dream. He be- a different day. My god, President Donald Trump. "In the face of this inhu-
knew, in life and in business," came the beloved heavy- the riots." De Niro, a co-founder of manity, we stand definitely
WWE chairman Vince Mc- weight champion of the They became engaged the annual New York festi- against the forces that are
Mahon said. "Bruno Sam- world. People saw that, in a bitter feud that was val, has been among the tearing our country apart
martino proved that hard they felt that. He was a real capped by a steel cage most vocal and bluntest of from the inside," said Jane
work can overcome even guy. Everybody believed in match at Shea in 1980. Trump's critics, frequently Rosenthal, also a founder
the most difficult of circum- him." Sammartino escaped the excoriating the president. of the festival. "We stand
stances. He will be missed." He was born in Italy and cage a winner. He has, for example, pre- with Time's Up, Never Again
Family friend and former was a child when his family "People hated me for 20 viously said he'd like to and Black Lives Matter and
wrestling announcer Chris- immigrated to Pittsburgh, years after that match," punch Trump in the face. underserved voices."
topher Cruise said Sam- where he became a cham- Zbyszko said. "Everything I At a kickoff luncheon for Tribeca opens Wednesday
martino died Wednesday pion power lifter and work- learned was from Bruno. He press Wednesday, De Niro night with "Love, Gilda,"
morning and had been out fanatic before learning was my mentor." referred to Trump as "our Lisa D'Apolito's documen-
hospitalized for two months. the ropes of pro wrestling. Sammartino and Hulk Ho- Lowlife-in-Chief" and re- tary about the legendary
Sammartino's name on the Sammartino defeated Bud- gan — the biggest long- jected what he referred to comedian and "SNL" star.
marquee about guaran- dy Rogers in just 48 seconds term money-making draws as the president's narrow As a fellow New York insti-
teed a squared circle sell- to become the second- in WWE history — tagged definition of America. tution, "Saturday Night Live"
out in the 1960s and 1970s ever WWE champion in together in the "Legend's" "The country has had a bad has been a regular at Tribe-
and he held the World front of nearly 20,000 fans final match. He was in his year, and you — the press ca. In 2015, the "SNL" docu-
Wide Wrestling Federation on May 17, 1963, at the son David's corner for a — have taken a lot of hits," mentary "Live From New
championship for more old Madison Square Gar- bout at the first WrestleMa- De Niro told the reporters York!" opened the festival.
than 11 years (4,040 days) den. He held the title until nia in 1985 and competed in attendance. "America Other elements of this year's
over two title runs. 1971 and his second reign in a battle royal won by is being run by a madman Tribeca are more pointedly
Sammartino's Italian heri- began in 1973 with a win Andre the Giant at the sec- who wouldn't recognize political. The closing night
tage, brute strength and over Stan Stasiak. That one ond WrestleMania in 1986. the truth if it came inside a selection is Liz Garbus' "The
good-guy charisma helped lasted until he was pinned Sammartino became a bucket of his beloved Colo- Fourth Estate," an upcom-
make him an instant star in by "Superstar" Billy Graham broadcaster on WWE's nel Sanders Fried Chicken." ing Showtime documenta-
the northeast. He had rival- in 1977. weekend morning shows De Niro on Saturday ap- ry series that captures The
ries with Killer Kowalski, Go- Zbyszko, a WWE Hall of before his frustration over peared on "Saturday Night New York Times reporting
rilla Monsoon and George Famer, was billed as Sam- the company's direction Live" as Special Counsel on Trump's first year in of-
"The Animal" Steele during martino's protege until he into campier storylines and Robert Mueller in a sketch fice. The Jay-Z produced
his title runs and later wres- turned on him during a an outrage over the drug where he gave attorney series "Rest in Power: The
tled famous grudge match- famous televised match. culture he said had per- Michael Cohen (played by Travyon Martin Story" docu-
es at Shea Stadium against Zbyszko got a quick lesson meated the industry led to Ben Stiller) a lie detector ments the 2012 shooting of
Pedro Morales, Stan Han- on how much fans loved a bitter, two-decade split test. Earlier Wednesday on the 17-year-old in Florida.
sen and Larry Zbyszko. their Legend when he with McMahon. He eventu- the "Today" show, De Niro The festival will hold a day-
"Bruno came along in the bloodied Sammartino with ally made peace with WWE said he would like to reprise long Time's Up event on
'60s and he reflected what a series of chair shots to the and accepted his induc- the part. "I hope there's a April 28, featuring hours of
was going on in terms of head. tion into the Hall of Fame in couple where I interrogate conversations with the ini-
the American Dream story," "I was getting my car 2013. He was inducted by him then I arrest him and tiative advocating for gen-
Zbyszko told The Associat- smashed, I had to hide in Arnold Schwarzenegger.q then I escort him to jail," der equality. q