Ilio DiPaolo

DiPaolo was born in Italy and lived there until he moved to Venezuela in 1949. There, he met promoter Toots Mondt, who taught him to wrestle. While waiting to get the proper paperwork to move to the United States, he relocated to the Dominican Republic to wrestle in the meantime. After the paperwork was completed, he moved to Buffalo, New York in 1951. He then began to work for Frank Tunney out of the Toronto area. Around this time he teamed with Whipper Billy Watson to win the NWA Canadian Open Tag Team Championship. Also in Toronto, he wrestled Pat O'Connor for the NWA World title in 1959, but the match went to a one-hour time limit draw. His last match was against Lou Thesz for the same title; a match that also went to a one-hour time limit draw. ==Personal life==

DiPaolo met his wife, Ethel, the stepdaughter of promoter Pedro Martinez, in 1952. His other children also worked in the restaurant. The DiPaolo family has also been inducted into the New York Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame for the creation of the Ilio DiPaolo Scholarship fund and continual contribution to high school wrestling. ==Championships and accomplishments==

• Big Time Wrestling • BTW World Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Buddy Lee • Cauliflower Alley Club • Other honoree (1994) • Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame • 1996 inductee • Maple Leaf Wrestling • NWA Canadian Open Tag Team Championship (5 times) - with Whipper Billy Watson (4) and Billy Red Lyons (1) • Midwest Wrestling Association • MWA Ohio Heavyweight Championship (3 times) • MWA Ohio Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Lord Athol Layton • Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum • New York State Award (2003) ==References==