Mario Bulfone (15 May 1935 â€" 9 December 2016), better known by his
ring name Mario Milano, was a professional wrestler. Milano got his
start in wrestling in Venezuela and later competed in Australia, Hong
Kong, Japan, South Africa, Mexico and North America.Bulfone, though
born in Italy, grew up in Venezuela and began wrestling in Caracas at
age 18 in 1953. A curfew prohibited anyone under 19 from being out
after 9 o'clock, so he had to hide his identity to avoid trouble with
the police. He wore a mask and wrestled as Black Diablo. After he
turned 20, he wrestled without the mask under his real name.In 1962,
Bulfone moved to the United States to wrestle, originally under the
name Mario La Pantera. A promoter felt that Americans would be unable
to remember his name, so he gave Bulfone the name Mario Milano, naming
him after Milan, Italy. He lived in Nashville, Tennessee, where he
competed for the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA).
ring name Mario Milano, was a professional wrestler. Milano got his
start in wrestling in Venezuela and later competed in Australia, Hong
Kong, Japan, South Africa, Mexico and North America.Bulfone, though
born in Italy, grew up in Venezuela and began wrestling in Caracas at
age 18 in 1953. A curfew prohibited anyone under 19 from being out
after 9 o'clock, so he had to hide his identity to avoid trouble with
the police. He wore a mask and wrestled as Black Diablo. After he
turned 20, he wrestled without the mask under his real name.In 1962,
Bulfone moved to the United States to wrestle, originally under the
name Mario La Pantera. A promoter felt that Americans would be unable
to remember his name, so he gave Bulfone the name Mario Milano, naming
him after Milan, Italy. He lived in Nashville, Tennessee, where he
competed for the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA).
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