Bruno Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino (October 6, 1935 – April 18, 2018) was an Italian-American professional wrestler. He is best known for his time with the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). Sammartino's first reign as WWF World Heavyweight Champion is the longest recognized men's world title reign in wrestling history.
Born in Italy to a family of seven, Sammartino grew up in poverty. As a child, Sammartino survived the German occupation of Italy during World War II. In 1950, he came to the United States with his family, where they would settle in Pittsburgh. Sammartino would later take up bodybuilding before beginning his career as a professional wrestler in 1959.
Dubbed "the Italian Strongman” and "the Strongest Man in the World" early in his career, Sammartino later earned the title "the Living Legend". Known for his powerful bearhug finishing move, Sammartino wrestled for various territories in the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) before joining the WWWF territory.
Already recognized as a future star, Sammartino won the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship in 1963 after beating the inaugural champion, Buddy Rogers, in 48 seconds.