Bruno Sammartino, the professional wrestling star best known for his record setting run as the WWWF Champion during the 1960s and 70s, passed away at the age of 82 on April 18th, 2018. Born in Pizzoferrato, Italy, in 1935, Bruno immigrated to the United States in 1950, settling in Pittsburgh. He soon began developing his talent in weightlifting and wrestling, both of which had been hobbies of his since childhood. In 1959, he won the WWWF United States Tag Team Championship with his partner, Antonio Pugliese. In 1963, he was awarded the WWWF Heavyweight Championship, an unprecedented twenty-eight-year-lasting reign that is still unequaled in the history of professional wrestling. He initially lost the title in 1971, only to regain it in 1973. In 1977, he finally relinquished the championship to Superstar Graham. Bruno Sammartino continued wrestling into the late 80s, working for the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF), World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), and All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) during his multi-decade career. He paved the way for countless wrestlers following in his footsteps, including Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and The Rock. Bruno was an ambassador for the sport, and was inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame in 2013. His life and career was both inspirational and influential, and he will be deeply missed by family, friends, and fans.