It is with deep sorrow that we announce the death of Gino P. Hernandez of Saginaw, Michigan, who passed away on August 10, 2021, at the age of 67, leaving to mourn family and friends. He is survived by : his children, Gino Hernandez, Jr. of Saginaw, Sophia Perry II (James) of Kettering, OH and Delores Hernandez of Saginaw; his grandchildren, Skylar Motley, Delane Socorro Hernandez, Felicia Shera Walton and Xavier Armon Hernandez; his great grandchildren, Brooke Gabrielle Riche and Frankie Riche III; his brothers, Noel Hernandez of Saginaw and Jerry Hernandez of Lansing; his brother-in-law Richard Reyes of Saginaw; and his cousins, Linda O'Connor and Richard Villareal. There are also stories of Gino dating and tripping on acid with Jeanie Clarke, then known as manager Lady Blossom. On January 26, 1986, during a grudge match in Fort Worth, Hernandez threw "freebird hair cream" (a "hair-removal product" previously established in WCCW storyline continuity in 1983 by Freebird Buddy Roberts) into Adams' face, rendering Adams blind (in reality, Adams was returning to his native England to spend time with his new wife Toni, and his family; however, WCCW told Adams he had to continue to "sell" the blindness whenever out in public). "It didnt feel so safe with some of the people he might be hanging out with, things I was hearing. One interesting thing to note was that Ginos condominium was not locked from the inside when they found his body. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. ", In an interview with Devon Nicholson for TheHannibalTV, "Cowboy" Scott Casey remembers how Gino would always act like his wrestling character. And while he considered anyone that he worked closely with to be one of his boys, there was one specific talent he considered like a son to him, and he always tried to do everything he could to help save himself. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. PWSTees.com Your favorite Pro Wrestling Stories, on a tee! Tully Blanchard, speaking on Ginos death, said, "He was a tremendous talent. Rumors about Gino Hernandez after his death began to swirl. Its called charisma, and he had charisma, man. Got a pretty girl on the side must be nice! Pro Wrestling Stories - Your daily source of nostalgia and a peek behind the curtain wall of wrestlings past! Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. Gino became quite close to promoter Paul Boesch and got his true big break working for him in Houston in the late 70s to early 80s, where he won the NWA Junior Heavyweight Championship over Chavo Guerrero. Gino also formed a tag-team with Chris Adams; WCCW called them "The Dynamic Duo", as SCW had Gino and Tully. Lothario was also instrumental in breaking Shawn Michaels into the business later on. However, there was , Weve profiled 40 wrestlers who sadly, didnt make it to see age 40, including many enhancement talent names of the , Heart Attack / Heart Failure / Heart Disease, Comprehensive Deceased Wrestlers List (text-only), Comprehensive Deceased Managers List (text-only), 8 Things You May Not Have Known About Rick Rude. Was he trying to protect someone by doing this? If you know of an upcoming event for Gino P. Hernandez, please add one. The police arrived not long after, and a loaded gun was found at the scene, but drugs and paraphernalia were not. In 1981, when Paul Boesch decided to cede away from working with Fritz as part of the Texas booking office, opting to go with Joe Blanchards outlaw promotion Southwest Championship Wrestling, it was Gino who first reported the news to Gary, who relayed the info to Fritz. Hernandez was scheduled to perform on a house show the following Thursday, and on a non-televised show at Dallas' Sportatorium the following Friday. As time went on, Gary and Gino would be part of World Class Championship Wrestling, famously run out of the Sportatorium in Dallas by Fritz Von Erich. Gino returned to WCCW in 1984, at different times individually or collectively feuding with the Von Erichs: Mike, Kevin and Kerry Von Erich. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. In the phone conversation shown in the documentary "Dark Side of the Ring," he denies that Gino owed him money as Patrice said he had told her, but he does admit to having paid for the funeral. But go out of your way to go back and watch some footage of Gary and Gino together, and know how special both men truly were. Besides, as far as I was concerned, it was all about the Von Erich boys, Bruiser Brody, and Gino Hernandez, and I would have done anything to help those guys get over. To the delight of the 26,000 fans, that afternoon saw The Von Erichs win. Manning claims that "a good source" told him that Rick, perhaps out of instinct, dumped a large bowl full of cocaine without the police finding out. Professional Wrestler. [4], Wolfe's drug abuse (e.g., alcohol and cocaine, among others) was no secret to many World Class mainstays, including onscreen manager/one-time booker Gary Hart, who claimed to have repeatedly encouraged Wolfe to "get clean". Memorial Oaks Cemetery in Houston, TX. You can still show your support by sending flowers directly to the family, or plant a tree in memory of Gino P. Hernandez. He was convinced people were also following him and trying to harm him. Initially ruled a homicide case, autopsy reports later revealed it was the result of a. "He was a good son and a good father, says Ginos mother, Patrice. According to Sportsnet, Odjick holds the Canucks record for most penalty minutes in franchise history with 2,127. Hernandez, through his involvement in drugs, owed a large sum of money to Jon Royal. He was 52 years old. Luis Hernndez was a professional wrestler who also went by the ring names Rito Carren and El Mdico. Gary would remark on the success, saying how proud he was, remarking that his only regret was that his boy Gino wasnt there to be a part of it. If you are looking for Pre-Arrangement Planning in the Greater Houston area, Hernandez Funeral Home is the right choice to provide a funeral in celebration of your departed loved ones. He was 67 years old. Ginos death was, unfortunately, "a situation of his own doing.". The wrestler ran into troubles regarding paying this debt. It seemed that he believed that this might muffle sounds from people trying to listen in on their conversation. Gino Hernandez Dead from a drug overdose at age 28. photo: wwe.com. Former referee, promoter, and booker for WCCW David Manning highlighted Gino Hernandezs incredible skills on the mic and compared his work to Ric Flair, Jim Cornette, and Michael P.S. All untrue. And demons just wouldnt let him go. [9] Both Mercer and Marc Lowrance treated Hernandez's death as well as Chris Adams' blinding angle as equally significant during a time when World Class was about to go forward with their feud beginning at Texas Stadium. These were strong, powerful people within the city that might not have liked certain things getting out. Gino was born on July 11, 1979 and passed away on Sunday, August 11, 2019. [5], Wolfe was married twice, both times to Janice Marie Bancroft. Janice Gillespie claims that she was told that Gino "had enough cocaine in his system that it couldve killed an elephant. Write your message of sympathy today. Verify and try again. By using this site, you agree to the legal terms set out in ourDisclaimer, Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and Disclosure. This was a big blow financially to World Class and the Von Erichs. He died way too soon, and I feel responsible in many ways.". There are no events at this time. He told her, "Gino owed me a lot of money, but dont you worry about it cause Im going to pay for his funeral." Family members linked to this person will appear here. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. His in-ring nickname was "The Handsome Half-Breed" (a reference to his Italian/Mexican-American ring name) "The Handsome Halfbreed" started wrestling in 1975 in Southwest Championship Wrestling (SCW) after being trained by Jose Lothario. GINO HERNANDEZ OBITUARY. Gino wins in his Mid-South debut, defeating Jesse Barr (10-30-1982). To the fans delight, the feud between Lothario and Hernandez culminated in Gino getting his head shaved after being on the losing end of a hair versus hair match. Other big stars of the territory included Cowboy Scott Casey, The Continental Lover Eddy Mansfield, Wahoo, McDaniel, Bruiser Bob Sweetan and The Guerreros (Chavo and Mando). Gino seemed very nervous, and he wasnt afraid of anything, but there are certain things you cant dodge. Thats what I would do." In 82 games total with the Islanders, Odjick compiled 22 points and 254 penalty minutes. "People youd just hand them the mic, and theyd do it." Dark Side of the Ring The Mysterious Death of Gorgeous Gino. FORT WORTH - Gino Eric Hernandez, 40, passed away Sunday, Aug. 11, 2019. He was a Father, a Son, a Brother, a Friend, & a Spouse. Please try again later. Personally, he was a close friend and confidant, someone I could lean on for advice and support. August 10, 2021 His ex-wife Janice even had doubts if the person they found was Gino or if he may have faked his own death. But their connection was still strong, and soon enough, they would be back on the same team. He held nearly every major wrestling title in the World Class Championship Wrestling Association. For all intents and purposes, Gino Hernandez did indeed blind Chris Adams, according to many fans. The 2nd Cotton Bowl Extravaganza held on October 6th, 1985 pitted him and Chris Adams against Kevin and Kerry Von Erich. Upon the success of Adams heel turn, Hart would put him together with anyone else but Gino as the Dynamic Duo. In contrast, Gino became a focal point of Southwest Championship Wrestling teaming alongside Tully Blanchard. David Manning added, "That goes to show how believable WCCW was," referring to the fans actually believing that someone, in this case, Adams, might go to the extremes of murdering Gino because he had blinded him. If you have yet to watch "The Mysterious Death of Gorgeous Gino" (AKA Gino Hernandez), you can see it in the 44-minute video below. The highlight was a storyline feud with David Von Erich over the NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship, which Gino won and lost back to David. Multiple sources corroborate with Danny Mannings story of Gino seemingly being very concerned about someone trying to harm or even kill him. David Manning shares that Gino was "super paranoid and that hed always lock the door with a deadbolt. Drag images here or select from your computer for Gino Hernandez memorial. He would later return to Texas and continue his heated feud with Gorgeous Gino. [10][11][12] According to David Manning, Hernandez had five times the amount of cocaine in his system that would have resulted in a fatality, and he and Kevin Von Erich stated that Hernandez also had cocaine in his stomach. Bruce Prichard recalled that Andre The Giant told him that "he knew for sure that Gino was shot in the head.". Too much lying. Hart went into shock and cried for an hour, while wrestler Tim Brooks was there when Hart received the awful phone call and just started cursing endlessly. Gino Hernandez Charles Eugene Wolfe Jr. (August 8, 1957 - February 2, 1986) was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Gino Hernandez. He relates it to a surreal out-of-body experience. [10] Wrestler Brutus Beefcake has rejected the murder theory, saying that Hernandez "had a serious drug problem" and was an "intense, crazy partier". The most recent obituary and service information is available at the W. L. Case and Company Funeral Home website. Today, we explore their relationship. She and Ginos ex-wife Janice believe that he seemed to be acting fidgety and nervous as if he was worried something might happen to him. [3] Gino returned to SCW, forming a hugely popular tag-team ("The Dynamic Duo") with the territory owner's son, Tully Blanchard. Although Gino had a cocaine habit, notable wrestlers, including Michael P.S. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. Jake Roberts agrees and said, "I heard that there were people you didnt mess with and had power in the city of Houston and Dallas. Quickly Ginos manager Walter Aymen was called to open the door because he was the only person other than Gino to have a set of keys. Gino's last match was against his ex-partner Chris Adams in Fort Worth, Texas, on January 27, 1986. Charles Eugene Wolfe Jr. (August 8, 1957 February 2, 1986) was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Gino Hernandez. [4] The duo invented the famed gold scissors gimmick: snipping hair from the heads of their incapacitated opponents right after defeating them (a humiliation tactic meant to increase fans' anger toward the heels, increasing the heels' TV/live show drawing power). Despite their history, Hart was unsure if he would be able to attend Ginos funeral. Getting into wrestling, its like getting into the mob. To honor his stepfather, Gino wore his boots during his first few matches and credited Luis for how easily wrestling came to him, saying, "My dad did it for me. 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