Ilio DiPaolo
| Ilio DiPaolo | |
|---|---|
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| Ring name(s) | Ilio DiPaolo |
| Born | November 8, 1926 Abruzzi e Molise, Italy[1] |
| Died | May 10, 1995 Hamburg, New York |
| Trained by | Toots Mondt |
| Debut | 1949[1] |
| Retired | 1965[1] |
Ilio DiPaolo (November 8, 1926–May 10, 1995), was an Italian professional wrestler and restaurateur who lived in the Buffalo, New York area.
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[edit] Professional wrestling career
DiPaolo was born in Italy and lived there until he moved to Venezuela in 1949.[1] There, he met promoter Toots Mondt, who taught him to wrestle.[1] While waiting to get the proper paperwork to move to the United States, he relocated to the Dominican Republic to wrestle in the meantime.[1] After the paperwork was completed, he moved to Buffalo, New York in 1951.[2] He then began to work for Frank Tunney out of the Toronto area.[1] Around this time he teamed with Whipper Billy Watson to win the NWA Canadian Open Tag Team Championship.[1]
After wrestling around the world, he returned to Toronto in 1968 to wrestle Pat O'Connor for the World Championship, but the match went to a one-hour time limit draw.[1] His last match was against Lou Thesz for the same title; a match that also went to a one-hour time limit draw.[1]
[edit] Personal life
DiPaolo met his wife Ethel, stepdaughter of promoter Pedro Martinez, in 1952.[2] The couple had four children.[2]
He opened his first restaurant, a pizzeria, when he was in his 40s, but it was destroyed by a fire.[2] DiPaolo retired from wrestling full time in 1965 and opened his second restaurant, an eponymous Italian restaurant now known as "Ilio DiPaolo's" in Blasdell, New York.[1][2] He died in 1995 while trying to enter a restaurant with his wife after being struck by a car during a torrential downpour.[1] After his death, DiPaolo's oldest son Dennis began to run the restaurant.[2] His other children also worked in the restaurant.[2]
World Championship Wrestling held the Ilio DiPaolo Memorial Show for DiPaolo from 1996 through 1999. He was selected as a New York State Award recipient by the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum in 2003.[3]
[edit] In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Signature moves
[edit] Championships and accomplishments
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- Other honoree (1994)
- Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame
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- 1996 inductee
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- NWA Canadian Open Tag Team Championship (5 times) - with Whipper Billy Watson (4) and Billy Red Lyons (1)
- Midwest Wrestling Association
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- MWA Ohio Heavyweight Championship
- MWA Ohio Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Athol Layton
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- New York State Award (2003)[3]
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- NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship (Calgary version) (1 time) - with Tex McKenzie
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Key, George. "Canadian Hall of Fame: Ilio DiPaolo". SLAM! Wrestling. http://slam.canoe.ca/SlamWrestlingBios/dipaulo.html. Retrieved 2009-12-28.
- ^ a b c d e f g Oliver, Greg (May 12, 2005). "DiPaolo's Restaurant celebrates 40 years". SLAM! Wrestling. http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2005/05/04/1025561.html. Retrieved 2009-12-28.
- ^ a b Beyer, Dick. "Ilio Dipaolo". Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum. http://www.pwhf.org/halloffamers/bios/dipaolo.asp. Retrieved 2009-12-28.
