Bruno Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino was an Italian-American professional wrestler known for his tenure with World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF, now WWE). He is regarded as a true pioneer in his industry and is often listed among the greatest professional wrestlers of all time. Dubbed as “The Living Legend” during his lifetime, he had several other monikers throughout his career, including "The Italian Strongman" and "The Strongest Man in the World". Sammartino grew up in Italy and in 1950, moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He took up weightlifting pretty early in his life after being bullied at school and even almost made it to the US Olympic team. He also performed strongman stunts which ultimately led to his first television appearance. That, in turn, garnered him the attention of a local professional wrestling promoter. Sammartino began his career as a professional wrestler in December 1959 in Pittsburgh and had his first match in Madison Square Garden in the following month. Since the early days, he worked with legendary promoter Vince McMahon, Sr. and when McMahon, Sr. formed WWWE, Sammartino became its biggest star. His first reign as the WWWF World Heavyweight Champion would last nearly eight years. After his retirement, Sammartino continued to be involved with the industry and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013.