Dino Bravo

Adolfo Bresciano (Italian: [aˈdɔlfo breʃˈʃaːno]; August 6, 1948 – March 10, 1993), better known by the ring name Dino Bravo (Italian: [ˈdiːno ˈbraːvo]), was an Italian-Canadian professional wrestler and promoter.

After training under Gino Brito, Bravo started his career in Montreal in the 1970s, working for Lutte Internationale. He became one of the top wrestling stars of Canada; winning several major titles including the Canadian International Heavyweight Championship six times, the NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship (Toronto version) and the NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship. He later signed with the World Wide Wrestling Federation (later the World Wrestling Federation, now World Wrestling Entertainment), where as a partner to Dominic DeNucci he won the WWWF World Tag Team Championship. He was also the sole holder of the WWF Canadian Championship before the title was abandoned in 1986.

After leaving professional wrestling, Bravo became involved in organized crime, allegedly working for the Cotroni crime family of Montreal. He was killed in his home by multiple gunshots in March 1993, and his murder remains unsolved.

Adolfo Bresciano was born in the commune of Campobasso, Molise, Italy, to Cecilia (née Cacchione) and Mario (later Maurice) Bresciano. The family emigrated to Canada when Bresciano was young, settling in the Centre-Sud neighbourhood of the Montreal borough of Ville-Marie. Bresciano started training in amateur wrestling from the age of 12.

Bresciano began wrestling in 1970, taking the name "Dino Bravo" from a wrestler from the early 1960s who had teamed with Dominic DeNucci as the Bravo Brothers, Dino and Dominic. He was trained by Gino Brito and often worked in a tag team with his mentor, billed as Brito's cousin.

Bravo made his debut in Grand Prix Wrestling on August 25, 1972, defeating Frenchy Martin at a match in Quebec City. In November 1972 he began teaming with Brito, and on November 20 the duo captured what would be Bravo's first title when they defeated Gilles Poisson and Killer Kowalski to capture the Grand Prix Tag Team Championship. The team would continue into 1973, facing Poisson and Kowalksi in rematches, as well as taking on The Vachons (Butcher Vachon and Mad Dog Vachon). Bravo and Brito finally lost the titles on July 24, 1974, when they were defeated by The Cuban Assassin's in Truro, Nova Scotia.

Bravo then jumped to NWA Hollywood, making his debut on November 7, 1974, in Bakersfield, CA and pinning The Canadian Wolfman. Teaming with Victor Rivera he soon captured the NWA Hollywood Tag-Team Championship and defended against teams such as Don Arnold & Gilles Poisson. They also faced the duo of Greg Valentine and John Tolos, and The Hollywood Blondes (Buddy Roberts and Jerry Brown).

Reforming his team with Gino Brito the two jumped to the International Wrestling Association on March 9, 1975 but were defeated in their debut by IWA Tag-Team Champions The Mongols in Charlotte, North Carolina. The loss was just the start of a series of matches between the two teams, but Bravo and Brito were unable to capture the IWA tag-team titles. Dino Bravo ventured into singles competition extensively for the first time in his career and challenged Bulldog Brower on July 7, 1975 in Roanoke, VA for the IWA North American Championship. Browser defeated Bravo via disqualification. Bravo earned rematches in August and September 1975 but each match saw the victor only win via disqualification.