What Was Bruno Sammartino's Net Worth?
Bruno Sammartino was an Italian-born American professional wrestler who had a net worth of $4 million at the time of his death in 2018. Bruno Sammartino is best known for his run in the World Wide Wrestling Federation (now WWE), during which he held the WWWF Heavyweight Championship belt for more than 11 years across two reigns, the first being the longest single reign in the promotion's history at 2,803 days. He is widely considered one of the best professional wrestlers of all time.
Early Life
Bruno Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino was born on October 6, 1935, in Pizzoferrato, Abruzzo, Italy. He was the son of Alfonso and Emilia Sammartino. Bruno was the youngest of seven children, four of whom died during his early years. When Sammartino was four years old, his father emigrated to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. When Pizzoferrato was invaded during World War II, Emilia moved her children to a hideout at the top of Valla Rocca, a nearby mountain. In 1950, after the war ended, Emilia and the children joined Alfonso in the States. Bruno attended Schenley High School but spoke no English and became an easy target for bullying. He turned to wrestling and weightlifting to build himself up to better protect himself.
Sammartino nearly earned a berth on the 1956 U.S. Olympic team but lost out to eventual gold medalist Paul Anderson. However, in 1959, he set a bench press world record of 565 lbs. without elbow or wrist wraps. He began performing strongman stunts in Pittsburgh, and sportscaster Bob Prince brought him on his television show. There, Bruno was spotted by local professional wrestling promoter Rudy Miller, who recruited him to the ring.
Wrestling Career
Over time, Sammartino grew to become one of the strongest men on the planet. He made his professional debut in Pittsburgh in December 1959, pinning Dmitri Grabowski in 19 seconds. He then defeated Bull Curry in five minutes in his first match at Madison Square Garden in New York City in January 1960.
After catching the attention of wrestling promoter Vincent J. McMahon (the contemporary Vince McMahon's father), Bruno Sammartino became an overnight sensation in the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF). Bruno's legend only continued to grow on May 17, 1963, when he defeated Buddy Rogers in just 48 seconds to become the WWWF Champion. When he lost the title in 1971, the audience was taken aback, but on December 10, 1973, Sammartino became the first two-time WWWF Champion, a title he held for an additional three-and-a-half years.
The most popular American wrestler from the 1960s through the early 1980s, Bruno later became known as "The Living Legend." On April 6, 2013, his longtime friend Arnold Schwarzenegger inducted him into the WWE Hall of Fame.
Getty Images
Personal Life
Bruno married his wife, Carol, in 1959, and they remained together until his death in 2018. The couple had three sons together, David and fraternal twins Danny and Daryl. They were also grandparents of four grandchildren. From 1965 onward, the family lived in Ross Township in Allegheny County near Pittsburgh.
Having retired in 1987, Bruno returned to WWE in the mid-1980s as a broadcaster next to Vince McMahon and as a support system for his son David, who was just beginning his grappling career.
In April 2013, Sammartino received the key to the city in Jersey City, New Jersey. May 17, 2013, was declared "Bruno Sammartino Day" in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.
Bruno Sammartino died on April 18, 2018, at the age of 82, from multiple organ failure due to heart problems following a two-month hospital stay.
