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Bollea's 18th Birthday Present: 'A New Place To Live' In Jail

News Channel 8 photo by INDIRA LEVINE

Linda Bollea, comes to visit her son, Nick Bollea, on his 18th birthday in the Pinellas County Jail.

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By RAY REYES of The Tampa Tribune and INDIRA LEVINE of News Channel 8

Published: July 27, 2008

CLEARWATER - When Nick Bollea celebrated his 18th birthday today, he got a cake, a skateboard and visits from family and friends. But one more event officially marked his passage into adulthood — a new place to live in the Pinellas County Jail.

Bollea, son of wrestler Hulk Hogan, was moved today from the juvenile section of the jail, where he has been housed since early June, to an adult facility. Bollea is serving an eight-month sentence for a car wreck that left his passenger, Iraq war veteran John Graziano, semi-conscious and with severe brain damage.

"He seems like he's doing good," Hogan said as he walked out of jail after visiting his son. "He said he's glad to be moving forward."

Hogan, his estranged wife, Linda Bollea, their daughter Brooke and several friends were allowed to sing "Happy Birthday" to Nick Bollea as a group in the jail's video visitation area, said Pinellas County sheriff's spokeswoman Marianne Pasha.

Visitors were then asked to break into groups of two if they wanted more time to speak with Bollea, Pasha said.

Hogan brought his son a cake, but could not give it to him.

"We just showed the cake to him," Hogan said. "I left it for all the people in there who were working so hard."

Linda Bollea's gift to her son was a skateboard.

"He's just sad he can't ride it right now," she said.

Nick Bollea was moved into a direct supervision housing unit that holds about 70 other adult inmates, Pasha said. Inmates in that section have agreed to abide by special rules of conduct and behavior.

The housing unit also includes several amenities that Bollea did not have when he was in the juvenile section of the jail, such as a laundry room, access to a microwave oven, additional commissary items and a television, Pasha said.

"He's been a good, model inmate" who is "cooperative with jail staff," Pasha said.

Hogan said his son has been reading books to pass the time.

"I don't think he's read that many books in his life before," Hogan said. Father and son also talk about Graziano "every day" and how they hope doctors can get him "up and running" soon, Hogan said.

Pasha said jail inmates usually do not get any special items or gifts on their birthdays. Bollea did, however, she said.

"He got a new place to live today," Pasha said.

Reporter Ray Reyes can be reached at (813) 259-7920 or rreyes@tampatrib.com.

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