was a Canadian professional wrestler. He was born and raised in Ontario, Canada. To wrestling fans, Croitoru is better known by his ring names, Johnny K-9, Bruiser Bedlam, and Taras Bulba. He competed in several Canadian wrestling promotions, including Stampede Wrestling, and later wrestled for New Japan Pro Wrestling, Smoky Mountain Wrestling, and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). He wrestled as a jobber in the WWF, but he was booked to win titles in several other promotions.

Croitoru was also known for his history of legal problems. He was a member of Satan's Choice, a biker gang. He was convicted of assault, trafficking cocaine and bombing a police station. In 2005, Croitoru was arrested for the murder of lawyer Lynn Gilbank and her husband Fred. After a lengthy investigation, the charges were dropped in June 2006 because of insufficient evidence. He worked as a security guard in Vancouver, British Columbia, until being arrested in May 2009 for conspiracy to commit murder. On January 24, 2011, Croitoru was charged with first degree murder in connection with the 2008 killing of Jonathan Barber in Burnaby, British Columbia. On May 15, 2009, Croitoru was arrested, along with seven other members of the United Nations gang. They were charged with conspiracy to commit murder for allegedly plotting to kill the Bacon Brothers and other members of the Red Scorpions gang. On January 24, 2011, Croitoru was charged with first degree murder in connection with the execution of Jonathan Barber and the attempted murder of Barber's girlfriend Vicky King, then 17, in Burnaby on May 9, 2008. In July 2013, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder, and the murder charges were stayed. He was sentenced to 13 years in prison, which was reduced to four years and eight months after factoring in time served. In January 2015, he applied for parole, stating that he had agreed to help with the murders to impress members of the United Nations gang, but that he did not intend to kill anyone. The application was denied.[46] On September 1, 2016, Croitoru was released to live in a halfway house and was ordered not to have any contact with gangsters or criminals.

Personal life

Croitoru was born to Romanian parents in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.[48] Before entering professional wrestling, Croitoru played junior hockey for the Kitchener Rangers in the Ontario Hockey League. He was not drafted to the National Hockey League, however, and he decided to pursue professional wrestling instead. He was an accomplished weightlifter, and he once bench pressed 625 pounds. While awaiting his murder trial, he ran a home renovation business until he was unable to secure a bank loan to cover business expenses. After closing the business, he supported himself by working as a used car salesman.

Croitoru lived in Vancouver, British Columbia with his common-law wife Tracy Edwards He had most recently worked as a bodyguard for Lion's Gate Entertainment, providing protection for such entertainers as Jack Nicholson and Cyndi Lauper. He also had a brief acting career, appearing in a movie titled Oklahoma Smugglers, in which he portrayed a wrestler, and such television shows as Reaper.

Croitoru had three children: Johnny, Blaise, and Tia Death

Croitoru died on February 21, 2017, at a federal halfway house in Toronto at the age of 53.

Credits