FAMILY MOURNS WRESTLER’s DEATH (JOHN KRONUS)
- 07/20/2007 (12:26:49 pm)
- Georgiann Makropoulos
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Thanks to Keith Lipinski for sending us these two links:
Family mourns wrestler's death
When the man known as John Kronus wasn't doing flips off the top rope or getting beat in the head with a folding chair, he was George Caiazzo, who dedicated himself to his true passion: being the best father he could be to his 9-year-old son, Gage.
So says a Lakes Region family that is mourning the loss of Caiazzo, a former pro wrestling champion who was found dead in his girlfriend's apartment at 57 Blueberry Place on Blueberry Lane in Laconia on Wednesday.
Caiazzo, 38, a 6-foot-3, 273-pound behemoth, took on the ring name "John Kronus" when he began a pro wrestling career that paired him with Perry Saturn to form "The Eliminators" — a tag team duo that won several titles in the 1990s with the now-defunct Extreme Championship Wrestling, or ECW.
Police were summoned to an untimely death call on Blueberry Lane at 2:46 p.m. on Wednesday that they have deemed not to be suspicious in nature.
Authorities are not revealing the name of the man found in the apartment but officials from the State Medical Examiner's Office confirmed on Thursday that they had performed an autopsy on Caiazzo, saying it will not produce a cause of death until toxicology results are returned — a process they said could take some time.
However, the family of Caiazzo has confirmed the death of a man they are calling a consummate entertainer and the ultimate family man.
Jenn Caiazzo Dunlop of Sanbornton, the man's sister, said her brother's death has come as a huge blow to a family that is split between the Lakes Region and Everett, Mass., where they grew up.
"It definitely came as a shock to us," said Caiazzo.
The sister and her husband, Brad Dunlop, said they can only speculate as to the cause of the death but noted that the family has a long history of heart problems that have taken lives at an early age.
Jenn Caiazzo said her brother, who preferred to be called by his ring name, John, was a light-hearted family man who got into wrestling at a young age while living in the Boston metropolitan area.
She said her father, the older George Caiazzo, was a star high school football player who later played for the New York Giants before becoming injured.
According to Jenn Caiazzo, her brother followed in her father's athletic footsteps but chose a different path when he began a pro wrestling career that suited his huge frame and natural acrobatic abilities.
"He loved sports, camping and cooking," said Jenn Caiazzo.
Dunlop and Caiazzo said the man who came to be known as John Kronus performed countless matches and rose to the top of the ECW, which took him all over the world, from Japan to Australia. They said he once got refused from an all-you-can eat buffet in China simply because of his size, which they assured was more than a little imposing to strangers.
Like many in the pro wrestling field, his sister said her brother eventually succumbed to the hardships of a sport that saw the entertainers being beaten and bloodied in an ECW that prided itself on taking "extreme" to the next level.
Family members say Caiazzo could do a flip in one step and was known as being the first big man to summersault off the top rope onto his opponents.
Popular wrestling websites list his "imploding 450 smash" and the "Kronus Krunch" as some of his signature moves which were developed out of his schooling with Boston-based trainer Walter "Killer" Kowalksi — a well-known pioneer in the sport whose students are being signed to pro contracts with the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).
Caiazzo had undergone two knee surgeries in the past year that left him temporarily disabled, but was planning to get back into the wrestling business on a more regional level when he died, according to his family. He took part in pro matches as recently as 2005.
Caiazzo had lived in the Lakes Region in Sanbornton for approximately five years and spent much of his time with his longtime girlfriend whom he had plans to marry and lives in the apartment at Blueberry Place.
"She is devastated, but we are just so happy he had someone who loved him unconditionally," said Jenn Caiazzo.
Dunlop said the huge man would often sport a long Mohawk, making him appear menacing, but he said he was well-liked and well-known to many in the Lakes Region.
Caiazzo served as a bouncer at the Weirs Beach Smokehouse during this past Bike Week and was a regular at the former Zack's Lakeside Restaurant and Lounge located near Mosquito Bridge on Lake Winnisquam.
Dunlop recalled one occasion where he walked into a local supermarket with his brother-in-law and an excited fan stepped forward, recognizing him from his days on the ECW circuit.
He described Caiazzo as a "gentle giant" who was intimidating until he began speaking.
"His personality was nothing like his size," said Dunlop with a laugh.
The family said he was known for his jokes and occasional wrestling "flips" during get-togethers.
One of their most cherished recent memories is of him getting inside a child's yellow duck float while swimming at a party.
"He loved family gatherings ... he was an entertainer," said Dunlop.
"A lot of people loved him and this was just so sudden," added his sister, Jenn.
While the family is saddened by his untimely passing, they say they are most sorry for his son, Gage, with whom he was extremely close despite the geographic distances between them.
Caiazzo was estranged from the boy's mother from whom he was separated, but would speak with his son every day and make trips to Philadelphia to visit him, family members said.
"His son was his world ... he talked to him every day," said Jenn Caiazzo.
The family said his death is drawing a lot of media attention. Caiazzo's death comes only weeks after a murder-suicide involving longtime World Wrestling Entertainment star Chris Benoit.
Police have said Benoit, 40, strangled his wife, Nancy, and suffocated his seven-year-old son, Daniel, placing Bibles next to their bodies before hanging himself on a portable weight machine sometime during the weekend of June 23 in their Fayetteville, Ga., home. Investigators later found extremely high testosterone levels, painkillers and anti-anxiety drugs in Benoit's body.
Caiazzo's family says it has been receiving calls from national media outlets, but hopes his passing is not hyped in the same way as Benoit's, saying Caiazzo was a loving family man who was living a quiet life when he died.
Dunlop said Caiazzo knew Benoit and had recently said he felt sorrow at the news of Benoit's tragic death.
So says a Lakes Region family that is mourning the loss of Caiazzo, a former pro wrestling champion who was found dead in his girlfriend's apartment at 57 Blueberry Place on Blueberry Lane in Laconia on Wednesday.
Caiazzo, 38, a 6-foot-3, 273-pound behemoth, took on the ring name "John Kronus" when he began a pro wrestling career that paired him with Perry Saturn to form "The Eliminators" — a tag team duo that won several titles in the 1990s with the now-defunct Extreme Championship Wrestling, or ECW.
Police were summoned to an untimely death call on Blueberry Lane at 2:46 p.m. on Wednesday that they have deemed not to be suspicious in nature.
Authorities are not revealing the name of the man found in the apartment but officials from the State Medical Examiner's Office confirmed on Thursday that they had performed an autopsy on Caiazzo, saying it will not produce a cause of death until toxicology results are returned — a process they said could take some time.
However, the family of Caiazzo has confirmed the death of a man they are calling a consummate entertainer and the ultimate family man.
Jenn Caiazzo Dunlop of Sanbornton, the man's sister, said her brother's death has come as a huge blow to a family that is split between the Lakes Region and Everett, Mass., where they grew up.
"It definitely came as a shock to us," said Caiazzo.
The sister and her husband, Brad Dunlop, said they can only speculate as to the cause of the death but noted that the family has a long history of heart problems that have taken lives at an early age.
Jenn Caiazzo said her brother, who preferred to be called by his ring name, John, was a light-hearted family man who got into wrestling at a young age while living in the Boston metropolitan area.
She said her father, the older George Caiazzo, was a star high school football player who later played for the New York Giants before becoming injured.
According to Jenn Caiazzo, her brother followed in her father's athletic footsteps but chose a different path when he began a pro wrestling career that suited his huge frame and natural acrobatic abilities.
"He loved sports, camping and cooking," said Jenn Caiazzo.
Dunlop and Caiazzo said the man who came to be known as John Kronus performed countless matches and rose to the top of the ECW, which took him all over the world, from Japan to Australia. They said he once got refused from an all-you-can eat buffet in China simply because of his size, which they assured was more than a little imposing to strangers.
Like many in the pro wrestling field, his sister said her brother eventually succumbed to the hardships of a sport that saw the entertainers being beaten and bloodied in an ECW that prided itself on taking "extreme" to the next level.
Family members say Caiazzo could do a flip in one step and was known as being the first big man to summersault off the top rope onto his opponents.
Popular wrestling websites list his "imploding 450 smash" and the "Kronus Krunch" as some of his signature moves which were developed out of his schooling with Boston-based trainer Walter "Killer" Kowalksi — a well-known pioneer in the sport whose students are being signed to pro contracts with the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).
Caiazzo had undergone two knee surgeries in the past year that left him temporarily disabled, but was planning to get back into the wrestling business on a more regional level when he died, according to his family. He took part in pro matches as recently as 2005.
Caiazzo had lived in the Lakes Region in Sanbornton for approximately five years and spent much of his time with his longtime girlfriend whom he had plans to marry and lives in the apartment at Blueberry Place.
"She is devastated, but we are just so happy he had someone who loved him unconditionally," said Jenn Caiazzo.
Dunlop said the huge man would often sport a long Mohawk, making him appear menacing, but he said he was well-liked and well-known to many in the Lakes Region.
Caiazzo served as a bouncer at the Weirs Beach Smokehouse during this past Bike Week and was a regular at the former Zack's Lakeside Restaurant and Lounge located near Mosquito Bridge on Lake Winnisquam.
Dunlop recalled one occasion where he walked into a local supermarket with his brother-in-law and an excited fan stepped forward, recognizing him from his days on the ECW circuit.
He described Caiazzo as a "gentle giant" who was intimidating until he began speaking.
"His personality was nothing like his size," said Dunlop with a laugh.
The family said he was known for his jokes and occasional wrestling "flips" during get-togethers.
One of their most cherished recent memories is of him getting inside a child's yellow duck float while swimming at a party.
"He loved family gatherings ... he was an entertainer," said Dunlop.
"A lot of people loved him and this was just so sudden," added his sister, Jenn.
While the family is saddened by his untimely passing, they say they are most sorry for his son, Gage, with whom he was extremely close despite the geographic distances between them.
Caiazzo was estranged from the boy's mother from whom he was separated, but would speak with his son every day and make trips to Philadelphia to visit him, family members said.
"His son was his world ... he talked to him every day," said Jenn Caiazzo.
The family said his death is drawing a lot of media attention. Caiazzo's death comes only weeks after a murder-suicide involving longtime World Wrestling Entertainment star Chris Benoit.
Police have said Benoit, 40, strangled his wife, Nancy, and suffocated his seven-year-old son, Daniel, placing Bibles next to their bodies before hanging himself on a portable weight machine sometime during the weekend of June 23 in their Fayetteville, Ga., home. Investigators later found extremely high testosterone levels, painkillers and anti-anxiety drugs in Benoit's body.
Caiazzo's family says it has been receiving calls from national media outlets, but hopes his passing is not hyped in the same way as Benoit's, saying Caiazzo was a loving family man who was living a quiet life when he died.
Dunlop said Caiazzo knew Benoit and had recently said he felt sorrow at the news of Benoit's tragic death.
Former wrestling champion dies in NH
Associated Press - July 20, 2007 9:15 AM ET
LACONIA, N.H. (AP) - The former professional wrestling champion known in the ring as John Kronus has died in Laconia (New Hampshire).
Family members say 38-year-old George Caiazzo of Sanbornton was found dead in his girlfriend's apartment on Wednesday.
Caiazzo took on the ring name - John Kronus - when he began a pro wrestling career that paired him with Perry Saturn to form "The Eliminators. They were a tag team that won several titles in the 1990s in Extreme Championship Wrestling.
Police say they do not consider the death to be suspicious.
The State Medical Examiner's Office said an autopsy was conducted, but said it will not produce a cause of death until toxicology results are returned a process they said could take some time.
Information from: Citizen, http://www.fosters.com/citizen
While police are not calling the wrestler's death suspicious, an autopsy and toxicology report are required because of Kronus' youth.
"Because of his age, an autopsy will be performed in Concord," Sgt. Chris Adams, a spokesman for the Laconia, N.H., police department, told ABC News. "They'll determine the cause of death, and most likely they'll do the toxicology report."
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