TribLIVE s Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox.
Former professional wrestler Johnny DeFazio, who parlayed his athletic prowess into a seat on the Allegheny County Council, died Friday morning. He was 80 and lived in Shaler. A cause of death was not yet known.
DeFazio first made a name for himself as “Jumping Johnny DeFazio” on the popular “Studio Wrestling” program hosted by Bill Cardille on channel 11 back when its call letters were WIIC-TV. A four-time winner of the World Wide Wrestling Federation’s Junior Heavyweight Championship, DeFazio was part of a famed stable of big-name wrestlers that included Bruno Sammartino and George “The Animal” Steele.