Vigil Attendees Pray For Bollea's Passenger

By KEITH MORELLIand CHRIS ECHEGARAY The Tampa Tribune

Published: Aug 30, 2007

CLEARWATER - John Graziano, a Marine reservist, survived eight or nine improvised explosive devices while in Iraq, said the man who led prayers at a vigil Wednesday night.

Graziano, 22, wasn't as fortunate here.

He was admitted Sunday to Bayfront Medical Center in critical condition. Graziano was a passenger in a car that spun out of control on Court Street in Clearwater and struck a palm tree in the median.

"We are confident in his recovery," said Peter Waldron, a family friend who led prayers at the vigil for Graziano at Glen Oaks Park near the scene of the crash. "He has our prayers."

A thunderstorm forced the more than 100 people who attended to scramble for cover at the clubhouse. The vigil went on unimpeded.

Graziano's sister, Christin Carson, had few words as she choked back tears. She asked for prayers and thanked people for their support.

Graziano's fiancee, Ashley Nicole Berry, who has been at his side at the hospital, broke away long enough to attend the vigil.

Graziano's future mother-in-law, Linda Berry Robinson, said if he survived war in Iraq, he can recover from this accident.

"If John can make it through that, he can make it through anything," Berry Robinson said. "We are all very emotional. He is a strong young man."

The driver in Sunday's accident was Nick Bollea, Graziano's friend of at least seven years and the 17-year-old son of wrestling superstar Hulk Hogan. Police say excessive speed was a factor.

"They've been friends for about as long as we've known each other," Berry said earlier Wednesday. Bollea and Graziano, who served in Iraq until November, were on their way to have dinner when the wreck happened, she said. "They're very good friends."

She holds no grudges against Bollea, who also has been by Graziano's side, she said. "He has his own issues he's dealing with. He's going through a lot right now, too."

Berry and Graziano have been dating seven years, since they were teenagers, and they have been talking marriage: "It was going in that direction."

Photos of the couple appear on Graziano's page at MySpace, an Internet social networking site. The captions read, "Quality time with the love of my life" and "Future wife."

A self-portrait of Graziano emerges from the MySpace page.

"I like to do anything outdoors, surf, snowboard, wakeboard, you name it, with my girlfriend Ashley," his profile says. "She is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I like to travel and plan to for the rest of my life."

His heroes, he said, are "the 19 Marines and corpsman who I fought in Ramadi, Iraq with, but paid the ultimate sacrifice."

Berry said Graziano was on the verge of making a civilian career choice and was looking at the fire or police services.

Barbara Cognetti, a neighbor of the Berry family who organized the event, said Graziano hasn't been responsive since the wreck. A family member said earlier he suffered brain damage.

One reason the vigil was arranged was to divert friends showing up at the hospital. Doctors don't want Graziano to receive a lot of stimulation, said Cognetti, a 35-year-old mother and wife.

"This is just for community support and friends who know him," Cognetti said. One member of the Graziano family told supporters "we need all the prayers we can get."

Reporter Stephen Thompson contributed to this report. Reporter Keith Morelli can be reached at (813) 259-7760 or kmorelli@ tampatrib.com.