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Cauliflower Alley Club President Brian Blair announced this afternoon that former WWWF star "Batman" Tony Marino has passed away at 90 years old.
On his Facebook page, Blair wrote:
"Tony Marino left us this morning to go to a better place. I've enjoyed Tony's company for many years, especially the last 6 months in the rehab facility, where we would visit almost every week. Tony was able to see his 90th birthday on April 20th. He was most humbled by his recent induction into the KWSA Hall of Fame. Tony will be sadly missed."
Marino, born Tony Sipini, broke into the business in the 1956 after a successful bodybuilding career. He wrestled all over the world, including runs in Australia, but in an era where over the top gimmicks were not the norm, he but may be best remembered for embracing the Batman-mania that swept the United States in the 1960s thanks to the legendary ABC Batman series starring Adam West and Burt Ward. Rightly seeing the potential, Marino took on the nickname and mantle of the Dark Knight during a time period where such a thing could fall under the radar of copyright infringement, using the "Battman" spelling.
After acquiring a custom made costume from Karl & Hildegarde's of Columbus, Ohio, Marino used the moniker and look in the upstate New York area, where he wrestled for the NWF. Bruno Sammartino brought him into Pittsburgh when Sammartino was overseeing that city for the WWWF with Marino appearing on the Studio Wrestling weekly series. Marino began teaming regularly with Sammartino, even after the Batman deal began to get passe as the TV series' popularity waned. At one point, the two were billed as the WWWF International Tag Team Champions, having defeated The Rising Suns, Professor Toru Tanaka and Mitsu Arakawa.
Marino also regularly teamed with Victor Rivera, winning the International Tag Team Champions from Professor Tanaka and Arakawa in Madison Square Garden in December 1969, feuding with teams sich as The Mongols and Waldo Von Erich & Killer Kowalski. After the Tag Title runs ended, Marino was used in a supporting role, putting over heels who were being built up the cards.
Marino remained with WWWF until 1972, at which point he began traveling through a number of NWA-affiliated territories, including Detroit, where he and Fred Curry won that territory's version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship and Marino main evented against the Original Sheik. Marino teamed with Bobo Brazil in the territory as well. He also appeared in Georgia under a mask as Devil Blue and competed in Championship Wrestling from Florida as well. He last competed in 1985.
Former NWA President Howard Brody paid tribute to Marino today:
I was sad to hear about the passing of pro wrestling legend, and he WAS a legend, "The Battman" Tony Marino. He was 90. I first met Tony 22 or 23 years ago and he was one of my honorees during opening night in 2000 when I started running Tampa's Fort Homer W. Hesterly Armory after pro wrestling had been banned there for 15 years. These two photos were taken 10 years ago at one of the Florida Legends luncheons. Although I haven't seen or talked to Tony in 6 or 7 years, he was always a fun guy to be around. One of the truly nice people you'd meet from the business. RIP "Battman"
Canada's Slam! Wrestling has an excellent piece on Marino's life and career at this link.
Everyone at PWInsider.com sends our deepest condolences to the family, friends and fans of Tony Marino.
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