Nunzio

James Maritato, born on March 12, 1972, is a renowned professional wrestler from the United States of America. He is recognized for his impactful presence in both Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as Little Guido and Nunzio. Before rising to fame in the wrestling world, Maritato built a foundation in athletics as a high school football player and amateur wrestler.

Early Life

Maritato attended Nanuet Senior High School in Nanuet, New York, where he was a standout athlete. In 1989, he competed on the high school football team, which achieved an incredible season by going undefeated. Alongside football, Maritato also competed as an amateur wrestler in the school’s wrestling program.

Professional Wrestling Career

Initial Wrestling Career

Upon training under English wrestler and coach Billy Robinson, Maritato began his wrestling career in 1991, debuting against Parsippany Smith Fields. In July 1992, he adopted the ring name Damien Stone and faced Tommy Cairo in a match at Eastern Championship Wrestling, though he came up short. Over the next two years, he competed in International World Class Championship Wrestling and various Northeastern U.S. promotions before relocating to Japan in 1995 to join the Union of Wrestling Forces International.

Extreme Championship Wrestling (1996–2001)

Maritato returned to Eastern Championship Wrestling (now Extreme Championship Wrestling) in March 1996 at Big Ass Extreme Bash, where J.T. Smith introduced him as his Sicilian cousin, "Little Guido." Together, they formed the stable Full Blooded Italians (F.B.I.), which later expanded with additional members. In 1999, Maritato transitioned to singles matches while staying with F.B.I. alongside Sal E. Graziano until 2000, when he teamed with Tony Mamaluke. The duo won the World Tag Team Championship on August 26, 2000, and held it for 48 Days before losing to Danny Doring and Roadkill as per Cage Match.

Independent circuit (2001–2002)

When ECW shut down in January 2001, Maritato left the company and shifted to the independent circuit. He worked primarily in promotions around the New York Tri-State area, frequently teaming up with his former partner, Tony Mamaluke. Together, they competed in various promotions, including Ring of Honor (ROH).

World Wrestling Entertainment (2002–2008, 2010–2011)

Maritato was introduced in WWE as "Nunzio," a character inspired by figures from Robert Asprin's MythAdventures series. In the fall of 2002, Nunzio made his WWE debut as Jamie Noble's cousin, attacking Crash Holly on SmackDown in December and later entering a feud with him. He reformed the Full Blooded Italians with Johnny Stamboli and Chuck Palumbo, though the team faced challenges. After WrestleMania XX, Palumbo moved to Raw, and the Full Blooded Italians (F.B.I.) continued briefly as a tag team until Stamboli’s release, after which Nunzio transitioned to the cruiserweight division.

At the 2005 ECW One Night Stand, Maritato briefly returned as Little Guido for an ECW reunion show, reuniting with the original Full Blooded Italians to face Super Crazy and Tajiri in a three-way match. Later, as Nunzio, he performed on SmackDown and Velocity, forming a short tag team with Funaki. On the August 6, 2005 episode of Velocity, he won the Cruiserweight Championship by defeating Paul London, thanks to Vito's interference. Nunzio then joined Vito, who had made his debut by assisting him with a blackjack.

The duo feuded with The Mexicools, leading to Juventud defeating Nunzio at No Mercy to win the Cruiserweight title. Nunzio briefly regained it on November 15, 2005, at a Rome house show in Italy but lost it back to Juventud after seven days on SmackDown. Nunzio and Vito then had a brief run as fan favorites in a feud against Gregory Helms but soon turned back, with Vito taking on a godfather role. In May 2006, their partnership ended when Vito's cross-dressing storyline began, leaving Nunzio feeling betrayed.

When the ECW brand launched in June 2006, Nunzio moved from SmackDown to ECW, using the name Little Guido. He reunited with former female professional wrestler and valet Trinity, Tony Mamaluke, and briefly Big Guido to form the F.B.I. team. They often competed in tag matches, frequently facing debuting opponents. At the December to Dismember event in 2006, they were defeated by Elijah Burke and Sylvester Terkay.

In early 2007, WWE released Tony Mamaluke, leaving Guido and Trinity as the remaining team members. Following Mamaluke's release, Guido resumed competing as Nunzio in April. Two months later, WWE released Trinity, and Nunzio continued competing, experiencing multiple losses until his final ECW appearance in May 2008. In July, WWE released Nunzio as well. After a lengthy absence, he returned to WWE in late December 2010 at a Raw house show in Madison Square Garden, stepping in as a referee due to a storm. He remained with WWE as a referee until February 2011, eventually announcing his departure from the company on September 29, 2011.

Return to the independent circuit (2008–present)

Maritato debuted for Jersey All Pro Wrestling on September 19, 2008, and quickly captured the JAPW Tag Team Championship with Tracy Smothers by November. He entered the ECPW Hall of Fame on January 16, 2009, and continued training at Bodyslam U while competing on the independent circuit. Wrestling as Guido, he lost to Shane Douglas in the NWA in March and faced another loss against Jay Briscoe in Ring of Honor in June.

Subsequently, he entered NWA On Fire as Nunzio and reassembled with the F.B.I. at House of Hardcore’s inaugural event on October 6, 2012, where he faced defeat against Danny Doring and Roadkill. Competing as Little Guido at House of Hardcore 2, he sustained a loss to Vik Dalishus. He rebounded on June 6, 2014, securing a victory over Matt Striker, followed by another on June 7 against Danny Doring. Maritato later allied with Team Tremendous, clinching a triumph over Anthony Greene, Ben Ortiz, and Vik Dalishus at House of Hardcore 7. At House of Hardcore 10, he joined forces with Colt Cabana, Bill Carr, Dan Barry, and Tony Mamaluke in a ten-man encounter, prevailing over Afa Jr., Jade, Lance Anoa'i, L.A. Smooth, and Vik Dalishus.

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling / Impact Wrestling (2010, 2022)

On August 8, 2010, Maritato joined TNA’s ECW reunion event, Hardcore Justice, teaming with Tony Mamaluke and Tracy Smothers to defeat Kid Kash, Simon Diamond, and Johnny Swinger. The following week, the ECW veterans, called EV 2.0, were attacked by A.J. Styles, Kazarian, Robert Roode, James Storm, Douglas Williams, and Matt Morgan of Ric Flair’s Fourtune faction, who opposed their presence in TNA.

On the July 15, 2010, edition of TNA Impact, TNA President Dixie Carter officially signed EV 2.0 to contracts, allowing them to take on Fourtune. However, on August 26, members of the Full Blooded Italians (F.B.I.), Maritato and Mamaluke, were defeated by Robert Roode and James Storm, marking the end of F.B.I.'s time in TNA. Later, Maritato appeared in India’s Ring Ka King as Tony Broadway and returned to Impact Wrestling in April 2022 to challenge Matt Cardona for the Digital Media Championship, but lost.

Nunzio Parents

Nunzio keeps his family life private, with his parents and siblings' identities unrevealed as of November 2024. Despite this, glimpses of his family life appear frequently in his social media posts.

Nunzio Wife

Nunzio has been married to his wife, Doreen Maritato, for over two decades, having tied the knot on October 22, 2000. Together, they have a son, Nick Maritato, who is pursuing a career in football by November 2024, as mentioned on Nunzio’s Instagram.

Nunzio's Championships

Nunzio's Accomplishments