RIP Bruno Sammartino

[miami_fan]

WWE Hall of Famer Bruno Sammartino passes away | WWE

[molson]

He had quite an amazing life before he even got to the United States. Cutting and pasting this story from reddit, which I've heard him tell on Meltzer's podcast (Meltzer's obituary for Sammartino will be a long and incredible read).

Born in Italy in 1935, Bruno was the youngest of seven siblings. In 1939, whilst his father was working in America in order to feed his family, the second world war broke out, and all borders were closed. Bruno’s father was left stranded in the US, whilst his mother had to care for their seven children alone with no income.

After the Nazis invaded and occupied their village, the Sammartino family were forced to live in secrecy on the Valla Rocca mountain. Once a week, Bruno’s mother would make the 24 hour long journey down the mountain back to the village. As the soldiers that now lived in their former home slept, Bruno’s mother would break into the family’s basement, and take as many supplies as possible that they had built-up over the years. She would then make the return 24 hour journey all the way back up, hoping that her children had survived the full two days without her.

On one of these life-saving missions, Bruno’s mother was captured by the Nazis, and barely made it out alive – the entire family was even once lined-up in front of a German firing squad, before being rescued only seconds from death. During the war, Bruno had to watch four of his siblings die, whilst simultaneously battling a serious bout of scarlet fever himself. When the war was over, Bruno was examined by doctors, and given just days to live. Somehow, Bruno made a miraculous recovery, lasting another 70+ years.