Peter Gasperino
Encyclopedia
Peter Gasparino is an American
former professional wrestler
, better known simply as Pete Gas from his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation
.
along with his friend Rodney Leinhardt
. Gasparino (known simply as "Pete Gas") and Leinhardt were both childhood friends of Shane McMahon
, the son of WWF/WWE owner Vince McMahon
. They were placed in a faction together along with independent
wrestler Joey Abs
. The trio debuted on WWF television in March 1999 as the "Mean Street Posse
" (in reference to Shane growing up on the 'mean streets' of Greenwich), and began assisting Shane in his feud
with Test and helping him retain the European Championship
. Shane eventually turned into a fan favorite
and briefly feuded with his erstwhile allies before leaving WWF television.
The Posse took part in a tag team
battle royal
for the number one contenderships to the Tag Team Championship at Armageddon. They gained an advantage by switching places with the third wrestler behind the referees' backs, thus enabling them to outnumber the other teams three to two. Despite this advantage, they failed to win.
In early 2000, the Posse repeatedly tried to defeat Crash Holly
for the Hardcore Championship
, attacking the champion in unlikely venues such as an airport
, a circus
, and his hotel room
. At WrestleMania 2000
on April 2, the trio took part in a hardcore
battle royal
for the title. During the match, each member would briefly hold the title, although Hardcore Holly
ultimately won the match and left as the official champion.
On an episode of Sunday Night Heat
later that year, Edge and Christian
briefly became the managers
of the Mean Street Posse. They accompanied them to ringside for the duration of their WWF World Tag Team Championship title match with the Hardy Boyz
, assisting the Posse with the proviso that they would receive a title shot if the Posse was to win. The Hardy Boyz thwarted the interference of Edge and Christian, however, and retained their titles. Later that year, all three members of the Posse were sent to Memphis Championship Wrestling
, then a WWF developmental territory.
Gasperino and the remainder of the Posse were released by the WWF in 2001, and began working on the independent circuit. Gasperino now works for an office supply company, named WB Mason
(well-known at Fenway Park
, Citizens Bank Park
, and Yankee Stadium
with signs on the fence). On Raw XV, the 15th-anniversary WWE Raw
special on December 10, 2007, Gas participated in the 15th Anniversary Battle Royal and was subsequently eliminated by Bart Gunn.
Punches,
Kicking,
other methods of street fights
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
former professional wrestler
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
, better known simply as Pete Gas from his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
.
Professional wrestling career
In 1999, he was hired by the World Wrestling FederationWorld Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
along with his friend Rodney Leinhardt
Rodney Leinhardt
Rodney Leinhardt is an American professional wrestler, better known simply as Rodney from his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation. He is currently working on the independent circuit as RodRageous.-Career:Leinhardt trained under Tom Prichard and debuted in 1998...
. Gasparino (known simply as "Pete Gas") and Leinhardt were both childhood friends of Shane McMahon
Shane McMahon
Shane Brandon McMahon is an American executive, currently serving as the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of YOU On Demand. A former executive and professional wrestler for World Wrestling Entertainment , he is the son of WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon and former US Senate candidate Linda...
, the son of WWF/WWE owner Vince McMahon
Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy "Vince" McMahon is an American professional wrestling promoter, announcer, commentator, film producer, actor and former occasional professional wrestler. McMahon is the current Chairman, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee of professional wrestling promotion WWE...
. They were placed in a faction together along with independent
Independent circuit
In professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indy circuit refers to the many independent promotions which are much smaller than major televised promotions. They are roughly analagous to a minor league for pro wrestling, or community or regional theatre.Specific promotions on the...
wrestler Joey Abs
Jason Arhndt
Jason Ahrndt is a professional wrestler best known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation as part of the three man team known as the Mean Street Posse, where he was known as Joey Abs...
. The trio debuted on WWF television in March 1999 as the "Mean Street Posse
Mean Street Posse
The Mean Street Posse was a villainous professional wrestling faction that formerly wrestled in the World Wrestling Federation. The faction consisted of Pete Gas, Rodney, and Joey Abs...
" (in reference to Shane growing up on the 'mean streets' of Greenwich), and began assisting Shane in his feud
Feud (professional wrestling)
A professional wrestling feud is a staged rivalry between multiple wrestlers or alliances of wrestlers. They are integrated into ongoing storylines, particularly in events which are televised...
with Test and helping him retain the European Championship
WWE European Championship
The WWE European Championship was a professional wrestling championship competed for in World Wrestling Entertainment. A coveted singles title of the late 1990s and early 2000s, it was held by superstars such as Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho, Owen Hart, Eddie Guerrero, and was...
. Shane eventually turned into a fan favorite
Face (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a babyface or face or in simple words, a fan favorite is a character who is portrayed as a heroic relative to the heel wrestlers, who are analogous to villains...
and briefly feuded with his erstwhile allies before leaving WWF television.
The Posse took part in a tag team
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
battle royal
Battle royal (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a battle royal is a multi-competitor match type in which wrestlers are eliminated until one is left and declared winner...
for the number one contenderships to the Tag Team Championship at Armageddon. They gained an advantage by switching places with the third wrestler behind the referees' backs, thus enabling them to outnumber the other teams three to two. Despite this advantage, they failed to win.
In early 2000, the Posse repeatedly tried to defeat Crash Holly
Mike Lockwood
Michael John "Mike" Lockwood was an American professional wrestler best known for his time with World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment under the ring name Crash Holly....
for the Hardcore Championship
WWE Hardcore Championship
The World Wrestling Entertainment Hardcore Championship is a hardcore wrestling championship in World Wrestling Entertainment and is contested under "hardcore" rules, meaning there is no disqualifications, no countouts, and pin falls could be counted anywhere...
, attacking the champion in unlikely venues such as an airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
, a circus
Circus
A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...
, and his hotel room
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
. At WrestleMania 2000
WrestleMania 2000
WrestleMania 2000 was the sixteenth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on April 2, 2000 at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, California...
on April 2, the trio took part in a hardcore
Hardcore wrestling
Hardcore wrestling is a form of professional wrestling that eschews traditional concepts of match rules in favor of matches that take place in unusual environments, using foreign objects that are not normally permitted...
battle royal
Battle royal (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a battle royal is a multi-competitor match type in which wrestlers are eliminated until one is left and declared winner...
for the title. During the match, each member would briefly hold the title, although Hardcore Holly
Bob Holly
Robert "Bob" Howard better known by his ring name Bob "Hardcore" Holly, is a American professional wrestler. He is best known for his 15-year stint with World Wrestling Entertainment ....
ultimately won the match and left as the official champion.
On an episode of Sunday Night Heat
WWE HEAT
WWE Heat was a professional wrestling television program produced by World Wrestling Entertainment...
later that year, Edge and Christian
Edge and Christian
Edge and Christian was a tag team made of real life best friends Edge and Christian , who performed in WWE and the Canadian independent circuit. They won the WWF Tag Team Championship on seven occasions...
briefly became the managers
Manager (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
of the Mean Street Posse. They accompanied them to ringside for the duration of their WWF World Tag Team Championship title match with the Hardy Boyz
Hardy Boyz
The Hardy Boyz are a professional wrestling tag team, consisting of real-life brothers Matt and Jeff Hardy...
, assisting the Posse with the proviso that they would receive a title shot if the Posse was to win. The Hardy Boyz thwarted the interference of Edge and Christian, however, and retained their titles. Later that year, all three members of the Posse were sent to Memphis Championship Wrestling
Memphis Championship Wrestling
Memphis Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion run by Terry Golden, based in Memphis, Tennessee. The promotion's first event was on February 20, 2000, and it remained active up until mid-2001...
, then a WWF developmental territory.
Gasperino and the remainder of the Posse were released by the WWF in 2001, and began working on the independent circuit. Gasperino now works for an office supply company, named WB Mason
WB Mason
W.B. Mason is a privately held large office supply contract retailer that competes with Staples, OfficeMax, and Office Depot. W.B. Mason primarily serves the New England and Mid-Atlantic areas of the United States. They have 29 distribution centers, roughly 1800 employees , 770 sales...
(well-known at Fenway Park
Fenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...
, Citizens Bank Park
Citizens Bank Park
Citizens Bank Park is a 43,647-seat baseball park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, and home of the Philadelphia Phillies. Citizens Bank Park opened on April 3, 2004, and hosted its first regular season baseball game on April 12 of the same year, with the...
, and Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium was a stadium located in The Bronx in New York City, New York. It was the home ballpark of the New York Yankees from 1923 to 1973 and from 1976 to 2008. The stadium hosted 6,581 Yankees regular season home games during its 85-year history. It was also the former home of the New York...
with signs on the fence). On Raw XV, the 15th-anniversary WWE Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
special on December 10, 2007, Gas participated in the 15th Anniversary Battle Royal and was subsequently eliminated by Bart Gunn.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Gas Mask (Inverted full nelson lifted and dropped into a sitout spinebuster)
- Other moves
Punches,
Kicking,
other methods of street fights
- Managers
- Shane McMahonShane McMahonShane Brandon McMahon is an American executive, currently serving as the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of YOU On Demand. A former executive and professional wrestler for World Wrestling Entertainment , he is the son of WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon and former US Senate candidate Linda...
- Terri RunnelsTerri RunnelsTerri Lynne Boatright Runnels is a former World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Federation professional wrestling manager, television host and occasional wrestler....
- Kevin KellyKevin Kelly (announcer)Kevin Foote is an American professional wrestling manager, pundit, sportscaster and ring announcer, better known by his ring name, Kevin Kelly...
- Edge & Christian
- Shane McMahon
Championships and accomplishments
- Memphis Championship WrestlingMemphis Championship WrestlingMemphis Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion run by Terry Golden, based in Memphis, Tennessee. The promotion's first event was on February 20, 2000, and it remained active up until mid-2001...
- MCW Southern Tag Team ChampionshipMCW Southern Tag Team ChampionshipThe MCW Southern Tag Team Championship was the tag team title in Memphis Championship Wrestling from 2000 until the promotion closed in 2002.-Title history:...
(2 times) - with RodneyRodney LeinhardtRodney Leinhardt is an American professional wrestler, better known simply as Rodney from his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation. He is currently working on the independent circuit as RodRageous.-Career:Leinhardt trained under Tom Prichard and debuted in 1998...
- MCW Southern Tag Team Championship
- Power Pro Wrestling
- PPW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Pro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...
- PWI ranked him #233 of the Top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2000
- World Wrestling FederationWorld Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
- WWF Hardcore ChampionshipWWE Hardcore ChampionshipThe World Wrestling Entertainment Hardcore Championship is a hardcore wrestling championship in World Wrestling Entertainment and is contested under "hardcore" rules, meaning there is no disqualifications, no countouts, and pin falls could be counted anywhere...
(2 times)
- WWF Hardcore Championship