URBAN LEGEND
By Peter Vuono
Those that know me know of my passion for wrestling. However this is not about wrestling. It's about an old friend of mine that was taken from his friends and family far too early who had a heart as big as the surname he carried; Pete Marciano.
When I met Pete in the early 80's, he had the charismatic personality of drawing people to him and befriending him. This is what happened with the two of us. He would train at my broken down ramshackle garage gym, babysit for my daughter and come over to watch the hot new wrestling shows on MTV.
So, on March 31st, 1985, Peter, Uber guidance counselor Bob Stone and I went to the 1st Wrestlemania. There was no internet or sophisticated pay per view back then so we sojourned into the Boston Garden and had the treat of our lives. Pete new that I loved this form of sports entertainment and through it he wanted to give something special to his friend. Fast forward 3 months to the summer of 85.
Like all Brocktonians, Pete went with his football mates to the famed Brockton Fair. It was once a haven for superstar entertainers such as Diana Ross, exiting Joey Chitwood auto thrill shows and, of course, Killer Kowalski pro wrestling. Pete made way to the basketball game and saw a beautiful wooden framed 20x30 poster of Hulk Hogan. He wanted it badly because he knew I'd be thrilled.
Pete was a super athlete but the deck was stacked in favor of the carnival barker. The hoop was 15' high and the circumference of the basket was much smaller than regulation. He needed to sink three shots but the odds were too great. He shot all night until closing and it was at that moment that a kind act would beget another.
It was closing time and the barker felt so sorry for Pete spending so much money that he GAVE Peter the framed picture and now, 38 years later, surrounded by cobwebs and wrestling posters of yore, the photo still hangs as a testament to true friendship.
ON December 21, 2015 at age 48, Peter was taken from his loved ones by the disease of addiction. However, we who are left behind are comforted in knowing that kind acts transcend time. They are like ripples in a pond that keep on moving and spreading. It is kindness that makes our legacy and paves our way to salvation. In Peter's case, that road is well paved.
"There are 3 ways to conduct one's life; the 1st is to be kind, the 2nd is to be kind and the 3rd is to be kind"- Mother Teresa
