I Didn't Know Bruno Sammartino & His Family Hid From The Nazis in Italy During WWII

Like many pro wrestling fans, I was saddened to learn of Bruno Sammartino's passing at the age of 82.

Sammartino was pro wrestling's premier draw during the much of the 1960's and 1970's during his two reigns as World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) Champion (now known as the WWE), the first of which lasted nearly eight years.

By the time I started watching wrestling in the mid-1980's Sammartino was mostly a commentator and only wrestled sporadically. But even in his 50's, Sammartino was still a strong man who could keep the bad guys at bay. After a falling out with Vince McMahon, Sammartino stayed away from the WWE until his induction into the company's Hall of Fame in 2013.

What I did not know was that he and his family hid from the Nazis when they occupied his village of Pizzoferrato, Italy. Four of Sammartino's siblings died while in hiding. One cannot begin to imagine what impact this had on him. No doubt it motivated him to get into weightlifting after coming to America in the early 1950's and settling in Pittsburgh before turning his attention to pro wrestling. But losing multiple siblings under those circumstances must have left deep wounds. Sammartino evidently never spoke about his experiences during WWII until the release of a 2013 documentary which was produced in conjunction with his WWE Hall of Fame induction.

It certainly helps to explain Sammartino's exemplary character. If an experience like that doesn't build one's character then nothing will. R.I.P.