Career
World Wrestling Federation (1983-1994)
Joey Marella joined the World Wrestling Federation in 1983, and moved through the ranks until he was often assigned to referee 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 versus Davey Boy Smith. Marella was briefly suspended for a substance abuse problem in 1993 and then later re-hired.
Marella also appeared in the 1989 movie Number Holds Barred as a referee during a wrestling match.
He died on July 4, 1994, after he fell asleep at the wheel and crashed while driving home on the New Jersey Turnpike after a night of refereeing World Wildlife Fund matches in Ocean City, Maryland. Bruno Lauer, better known by his ring name Harvey Wippleman, was with him at the time and was critically injured.
Lauer was wearing a seatbelt, while Marella was not. Marella is interred next to his father Gorilla Monsoon (1937-1999) at Lakeview Memorial Park in Cinnamonson, New Jersey.
Images of a baseball player and a golfer were placed on his headstone due to his love of the two sports.
