John Joseph Bonica (February 16, 1917 – August 15, 1994) was a
Sicilian American
Sicilian Americans ( Sicilian: ''Sìculu-miricani; Italian: Siculoamericani'') are Americans of Italian Sicilian birth or ancestry. They are a large ethnic group in the United States.
The first Sicilians who came to the territory that is now the ...
anesthesiologist
Anesthesiology, anaesthesiology, or anaesthesia is the medical specialty concerned with the total perioperative care of patients before, during and after surgery. It encompasses anesthesia, intensive care medicine, critical emergency medicine, ...
and
professional wrestler
Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...
known as the founding father of the discipline of
pain medicine
Pain management is an aspect of medicine and health care involving relief of pain (pain relief, analgesia, pain control) in various dimensions, from acute and simple to chronic and challenging. Most physicians and other health professionals pr ...
.
Early life
Born in
Filicudi
Filicudi () is one of seven islands that make up the Aeolian archipelago, situated northeast of the island of Sicily, southern Italy. It is a ''frazione'' of the ''comune'' of Lipari.
Geography
Its total area is . There are several small vill ...
, off the coast of
Sicily
(man) it, Siciliana (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 = Ethnicity
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographi ...
, in 1917, he emigrated with his family to the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
in 1927, becoming naturalized citizens in 1928.
[Peter Paul Franco, "John Joseph Bonica." In ''Italian Americans of the Twentieth Century'', ed. George Carpetto and Diane M. Evanac. Tampa, FL: Loggia Press, 1999, p.52] John's father, Antonino Bonica, a deputy Mayor and director of the postal service in Filicudi, eventually became a supervisor at the
American Telephone and Telegraph Company
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications holding company headquartered at Whitacre Tower in Downtown Dallas, Texas. It is the world's largest telecommunications company by revenue and the third largest provider of mobile tel ...
. His mother, Angela Zagame, was a midwife and practical nurse.
After his father died in 1932, the 15-year-old Bonica assumed responsibility of the household, by shining shoes and selling newspapers and
produce
Produce is a generalized term for many farm-produced crops, including fruits and vegetables (grains, oats, etc. are also sometimes considered ''produce''). More specifically, the term ''produce'' often implies that the products are fresh and g ...
.
[Dormandy, 2006. P. 488] He became the youngest
Eagle Scout
Eagle Scout is the highest achievement or rank attainable in the Scouts BSA program of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). Since its inception in 1911, only four percent of Scouts have earned this rank after a lengthy review process. The Eagle Sc ...
in the history of
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
.
[Chapman]
Wrestling career
Bonica entered amateur wrestling in high school to pay his way through school and fulfill his dream to go to college.
[Dormandy, 2006. P. 488] He went on to win championships in the city and state levels. After such a successful high school stint, at age 19, Bonica began to wrestle professionally at carnivals, and continued to do it throughout his years of college at
Long Island University
Long Island University (LIU) is a private university with two main campuses, LIU Post and LIU Brooklyn, in the U.S. state of New York. It offers more than 500 academic programs at its main campuses, online, and at multiple non-residential. LIU ...
and medical school at
Marquette University School of Medicine in
Milwaukee
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...
. He once defeated the entire 36 member wrestling team of an upstate New York college in one day.
[Pantozzi, 2009] His monikers included the Masked Marvel and Johnny "Bull" Walker.
[ Bonica wrestled many of the contemporary greats including Jim Londos, ]Ed "Strangler" Lewis
Robert Herman Julius Friedrich (June 30, 1891 – August 8, 1966), better known by the ring name Ed "Strangler" Lewis, was an American professional wrestler and trainer. During his wrestling career, which spanned four decades, Lewis was a four-ti ...
, and had a one-hour draw with Lou Thesz
Aloysius Martin "Lou" Thesz (April 24, 1916 – April 28, 2002) was an American professional wrestler. He was a three-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion and held the title for a combined total of 10 years, three months and nine days (3,749 ...
.[ He won the light heavyweight championship of ]Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
in 1939. In 1941, Bonica added the NWA World Light Heavyweight Championship
The NWA World Light Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling championship sanctioned by the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). For the majority of its existence the title was promoted by Mexican promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libr ...
to his resume. The years of gladiatorial competition left Dr. Bonica a chronic pain sufferer himself, and thus empathizer with his patients.[ He would be awarded the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame New York State Award in 2004.][
]
Championships and accomplishments
*National Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) is an American professional wrestling professional wrestling promotion, promotion and former professional wrestling governing body operated by its parent company Lightning One, Inc.
Founded in 1948, the NWA ...
**NWA World Light Heavyweight Championship
The NWA World Light Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling championship sanctioned by the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). For the majority of its existence the title was promoted by Mexican promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libr ...
(1 time)
*Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum
The Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame (PWHF) and Museum is an American professional wrestling hall of fame and museum located in Wichita Falls, Texas currently closed to water leaks. The museum was founded by Tony Vellano in 1999, and was previo ...
, Class of 2004
*Other
**Canadian Light Heavyweight Championship
Academic career
Bonica graduated from Marquette University School of Medicine in Wisconsin in 1942. The same year he married Emma Louise Baldetti.
Bonica completed residency in anesthesiology at Saint Vincent's Catholic Medical Center
Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Centers of New York d/b/a as Saint Vincent's Catholic Medical Centers (Saint Vincent's, or SVCMC) was a healthcare system, anchored by its flagship hospital, St. Vincent's Hospital Manhattan, locally referred to a ...
in Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
. He then joined the United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
in 1944, where at age 27 he was appointed Chief of Anesthesiology at Madigan Army Medical Center
The Madigan Army Medical Center, located on Joint Base Lewis-McChord just outside Lakewood, Washington, is a key component of the Madigan Healthcare System and one of the largest military hospitals on the West Coast of the United States.
The hos ...
in Fort Lewis, Washington for the next three years.[ He became a captain. His treatment of so many WW2 veterans inspired him to dedicate himself to understand and alleviate pain.]
In 1947, John left the Army and became Chief of Anesthesia at Tacoma General Hospital
MultiCare Health System's Tacoma General Hospital is the largest hospital in Tacoma, Washington. It is a level II trauma center with 437 beds and the second largest obstetrical care center in the state of Washington. Tacoma General began servi ...
. He devoted his career to the study of pain, establishing it as a multidisciplinary field. He believed a team approach to the field of pain management, incorporating various specialties to treat acute and chronic pain. His concept for these pain clinics developed in the 1950s and by 1977, 175 pain centers were operative in the United States.[O'Hara, 2001. P 36] He created residency programs, chaired departments, wrote standard texts in the field, and had his work published in numerous languages. In 1966 he became president of the American Society of Anesthesiology.
In 1960 Bonica founded the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Washington School of Medicine
The University of Washington School of Medicine (UWSOM) is a large public medical school in the northwest United States, located in Seattle and affiliated with the University of Washington. According to ''U.S. News & World Report''s 2022 Best Grad ...
in Seattle where he established his Multidisciplinary Pain Center.[Webb, 1997]
Bonica died of a cerebral hemorrhage at age 77 at St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester, Minnesota
Rochester is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Olmsted County. Located on rolling bluffs on the Zumbro River's south fork in Southeast Minnesota, the city is the home and birthplace of the renowned Mayo Clinic.
Acco ...
.[Saxon, 1994.] His wife died in the same summer.[Loeser, 1994.]
Publications
Bonica wrote and edited 41 books, while contributing to 60 others. 241 articles bear his authorship. Considered a standard in the field, his The Management of Pain was published in 1953. His masterpiece was considered The Management of Pain, Second Edition (1990). After his wife nearly died on anaesthesia related complications during the birth of their first child, Bonica began to focus on the study of pain control. His subsequent Principles and Practice of Obstetric and Analgesic Anesthesia (1967, 1994) became an enduring legacy used worldwide. In 1990, Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
requested to have a copy of The Management of Pain for his own personal library.[John J. Bonica, 2002]
Affiliated organizations
* Founder of the International Association of the Study of Pain in 1973
* Founder and former director of the Multidisciplinary Pain Center at the University of Washington Medical Center
The University of Washington Medical Center (UWMC) is a hospital in the University District of Seattle, Washington. It is one of the teaching hospitals affiliated with the University of Washington School of Medicine.And is located in the War ...
in Seattle
* Eight lectureships and fellowships around the world bear his name, including the John J. and Emma Bonica Endowed Chair for Anesthesiology and Pain Research at the University of Washington School of Medicine, and the John J. Bonica Trainee Fellowship of the International Association for the Study of Pain.
* President American Society of Anesthesiologists
The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) is an educational, research and scientific association of physicians organized to raise the standards of the medical practice of anesthesiology and to improve patient care.
As of 2021, the organizat ...
* President of the World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists
Awards and honors
During his long career, Bonica received international acclaim and awards:[Peter Paul Franco, "John Joseph Bonica." In ''Italian Americans of the Twentieth Century'', ed. George Carpetto and Diane M. Evanac. Tampa, FL: Loggia Press, 1999, p.53]
* Golden Medal from the University of Palermo in 1954
* Commendatore and Grand Officer of the Knights of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Italy in 1967
* Honorary Fellow of the Faculty of Anaesthetists, Royal College of Surgeons of England
* Silver Medal by Swedish Medical Society in 1969
* Gold Medal for Neurosciences from the German Neurophysiologic Society in 1972
* Honorary Doctorate of Science Degrees from the Medical Colleges of Wisconsin and Northwestern University
* Honorary Doctorate from Siena University, Italy
* Chevalier of the Noble Order of Cingolo Militare (founded 1085)
* Distinguished Service Award of the American Society of Anesthesiologists
Notes
References
*
* Bonica JJ
UCLA Biomedical Library History & Special Collections: Bloodletting
2002.
* Chapman R
Bonica Page.
* Dormandy T. ''The Worst of Evils: The Fight against Pain.'' New Haven: Yale UP, 2006. p. 488.
* Peter Paul Franco, "John Joseph Bonica." In ''Italian Americans of the Twentieth Century'', ed. George Carpetto and Diane M. Evanac. Tampa, FL: Loggia Press, 1999, pp. 52–53.
* Loeser J
''In Memoriam.''
International Association for the Study of Pain. August 21, 1994.
* O'Hara D. ''Heal the Pain, Comfort the Spirit: The Hows and Whys of Modern Pain Treatment.'' Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania, 2001. p. 36.
* Pantozzi J
''John J. Bonica, M.D.''
Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame. 2002.
* Saxon W
The New York Times. The New York Times, August 20, 1994.
* Webb M. ''The Good Death: The New American Search to Reshape the End of Life.'' New York: Bantam, 1997.
* TED.co
External links
Latif Nasser: The amazing story of the man who gave us modern pain relief
at TED (conference), TED
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bonica, John
1917 births
1994 deaths
20th-century American male actors
20th-century American physicians
American anesthesiologists
American male professional wrestlers
American pain physicians
Italian emigrants to the United States
Long Island University alumni
Medical College of Wisconsin alumni
Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum
United States Army Medical Corps officers