10 Things We Learned From VICE’s Dark Side Of The Ring: Dino Bravo

5. His Uncle Got Him Involved With The Mob

When Dino told Jimmy Hart he was thinking of retiring from wrestling in 1992, the loudmouth manager asked him what he planned to do next. Bravo didn't have much of a plan, but he knew he wanted to make good money even if he left wrestling behind.

Enter his uncle, Vic Cotroni.

Cotroni, who had been a wrestler himself in the 1930s, was the 'Father' of Quebec's first Mafia family. He also took a shine to Dino and helped him find work as an enforcer for the mob. Crime reporter Claude Poirier pointed out to VICE that Bravo thought nothing could happen to him; the family might've been heavily into some bad sh*t, but he'd be protected.

His wife didn't have a good feeling about things. She suddenly noticed that Dino was hanging around with shady-looking characters who were more colourful than the WWF's wildest gimmicks. Secretly, Bravo was getting himself deeper and deeper into a world of cigarette and alcohol smuggling.