Bollea passenger's dad is arrested

By JACOB H. FRIES, Times Staff Writer
Published September 1, 2007

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ST. PETERSBURG - The father of a man critically injured in a crash involving the son of wrestler Hulk Hogan was arrested Friday on charges that he violated a domestic violence injunction.

Edward Graziano, 52, of Dunedin violated the injunction on Friday by going to Bayfront Medical Center, where his son was in intensive care, and entering the same room as his wife, Debra, police said. She had renewed an expired injunction on Thursday after a fight broke out among family members at the hospital.

John Graziano, 22, remained in critical condition. On Sunday evening, he was riding in a car driven by Hulk Hogan's son, Nick Bollea, 17, who lost control on Court Street in Clearwater and crashed into a tree.

Police are still investigating the wreck and no charges have been filed.

Witnesses say Bollea had been racing a second car, a Dodge Viper, whose driver police have not identified.

Investigators say Hogan, who owns three Vipers, was not driving, but they have not said whether one of his cars was involved in the incident. There are only about 130 of the distinctive Vipers registered in Pinellas County.

Graziano's family has been keeping a constant vigil at the hospital since the crash.

During Thursday's fight, Edward Graziano threw a cup of cold coffee on relatives and police were called to the hospital. Officers, however, determined the incident did not constitute a crime but rather a "domestic brawl."

They were called to the hospital again at 3:15 p.m. on Friday after Graziano arrived and came in contact with his wife, in violation of the injunction. He was taken to the Pinellas County Jail on the misdemeanor charge.

Graziano was arrested in June on charges of domestic battery, tampering with a witness and battery on a law enforcement officer. The case is still pending.