The Dusek family was a

professional wrestling Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to Real life, real- ...

family. Its real surname was Hason. It started with four brothers, Ernie, Emil, Joe and Rudy, often billed as the Dusek Riot Squad and well known in the

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...

territory. The family also wrestled in the

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

territory. After Emil was injured in a car accident, he was replaced by Wally, a

kayfabe In professional wrestling, kayfabe (pronounced ) is the portrayal of staged events within the industry as "real" or "true", specifically competition, rivalries, and relationships between participants. The term has evolved to become a code word ...

cousin (real name Santen); Wally's real son Frank later debuted. Emil and Ernie were inducted into the

Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum The Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame (PWHF) and Museum was an American professional wrestling hall of fame and museum located in Wichita Falls, Texas; following the postponement of its 19th induction ceremony, planned for May 2020, and an annou ...

in 2008. In 2018, Joe was inducted into the Nebraska Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame. In 2021, Ernie, Emil and Rudy joined him.

Members

Real

Ernie

Ernie Dusek was born in

on January 26, 1909, to Anton and Maria Hason, Bohemian immigrants. He wrestled with Rudy and Emil in the New York territory from 1933 to 1940. He was the

NWA Texas Heavyweight Champion The NWA Texas Championship is a professional wrestling title that has existed since the 1930s. Though its exact date of creation isn't known, it is among the oldest championships used in professional wrestling today. The title has used a variety ...

until he was beaten by

Lou Thesz Aloysius Martin Thesz (April 24, 1916 – April 28, 2002), known by the ring name Lou Thesz, was an American professional wrestler and wrestling coach. Considered to be one of the last true shooters (legitimate wrestlers) in professional w ...

Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

. He wrestled many famous wrestlers, such as

Warren Bockwinkel Warren Bockwinkel (often misspelled Bockwinkle, May 21, 1911 – March 25, 1986) was an American professional wrestler. Career Bockwinkel was working as a truck driver for International Shoe Company in St. Louis, Missouri when he was introduce ...

George Zaharias Theodore Vetoyanis (; February 27, 1908 – May 22, 1984) was an American professional wrestler and sports promoter known by his ring name George Zaharias. He was also popularly known as "The Crying Greek from Cripple Creek" or "The Greek Hyena ...

, Lou Thesz,

Wladek Zbyszko Władysław Cyganiewicz (November 30, 1892 – June 10, 1968), better known by the ring name Władek Zbyszko (), was a Polish catch wrestler, professional wrestler and strongman. "Zbyszko" was his older brother Stanislaus's childhood nickname ...

Yvon Robert Yvon Robert (October 8, 1914 – July 12, 1971) was a French Canadian Professional wrestling, professional wrestler who was best known to fans as Yvon "The Lion" Robert. Professional wrestling career American Wrestling Association (1932–1 ...

Karl Sarpolis Karl Sarpolis (August 31, 1897 – May 28, 1967) was a professional wrestler and wrestling promoter in Texas. He was the promoter of the Amarillo, Texas-based Western States Sports promotion. Early life Sarpolis was born in Newport, Pennsylvania ...

, Sandor Szabo,

Mike Mazurki Mike Mazurki (December 25, 1907 – December 9, 1990, born Markiian Yulianovych Mazurkevych) was a Ukrainian-American actor and professional wrestler who appeared in more than 142 films. Although educated as an attorney, his hulking 6 ft 5 ...

, Abe Coleman and Man Mountain Dean. He won the NWA Southern Tag Team Championship (Mid-Atlantic version) two times with Emil. They took the NWA Canadian Open Tag Team Championship from

Tiny Mills Henry W. Mittlestadt (December 7, 1912 to June 24, 1987), best known by his ring name, Tiny Mills, was a Canadian professional wrestler. He often teamed with his brother Al Mills as the tag team Murder Incorporated (Murder Inc.). Later on Stan "K ...

and

Al Mills Adolph Henry Mittlestadt (November 5, 1910 to October 7, 1961), best known by his ring name, "Mr. Murder" Al Mills, was a Canadian professional wrestler. He often teamed with his brother Tiny Mills as the tag team Murder Incorporated (Murder Inc.) ...

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

. He died in Omaha, Nebraska, on April 11, 1994.

Emil

Emil Dusek was born in Omaha, Nebraska on March 31, 1905. He wrestled with Rudy and Ernie in the New York territory from 1934 to 1940. He wrestled legends

Danno O'Mahony Danno O'Mahony (9 September 1912 – 3 November 1950) was an Irish professional wrestler who enjoyed a brief but meteoric rise to massive popularity in the mid-1930s following a successful introduction to the Boston regional wrestling scene. His ...

and Ed Lewis and lost to both. He won the NWA Southern Tag Team Championship Mid-Atlantic version two times with Ernie. He won the NWA Canadian Open Tag Team Championship with Ernie in Toronto from Tiny and Al Mills. He died on July 9, 1986.

Rudy

Rudy Dusek was born on January 25, 1901, in Omaha, Nebraska. He wrestled with Emil and Ernie in the New York territory from 1933 to 1940. He wrestled for the NYSAC Heavyweight Title against Jim Browning and against

to a curfew draw at

St. Nicholas Arena The St. Nicholas Rink, also called the St. Nicholas Arena, was an indoor ice rink, and later a boxing arena in New York City from 1896 until 1962. The rink was one of the earliest indoor ice rinks made of mechanically frozen ice in North America ( ...

. He went over an hour in a draw with Karol Zbyszko and faced many legendary wrestlers in his day, such as

Jim Londos Christos Theofilou (; January 2, 1894 – August 19, 1975), better known as "The Golden Greek" Jim Londos ( Greek: Τζιμ Λόντος), was a Greek American professional wrestler. Londos was one of the most popular stars on the professional ...

Steve Casey Stephen Casey (4 December 1908 – 10 January 1987) was an Irish sport rower and world champion professional wrestler. He was the second Irish wrestler, after Danno O'Mahoney, to become a world champion. Rowing Casey was the eldest of seven ...

, George Zaharias, Ed Lewis and Sandor Szabo. He was defeated by the Bulgarian

Dan Koloff Doncho Kolev Danev () (26 December 1892 – 27 March 1940), better known by the ring name Dan Kolov (), was a Bulgarian professional wrestler born in Sennik, Bulgaria who was the first European freestyle wrestling champion from Bulgaria. He also ...

in 1919. He died on October 27, 1971.

Joe

Joe Dusek was born in Omaha, Nebraska, on December 12, 1910. He wrestled with Rudy, Ernie and Emil in the New York territory from 1935 to 1940. He lost to Ed Lewis and also wrestled French great

to a draw. As a promoter, he gave

Tim Woods George Burrell Woodin (July 28, 1934 – November 30, 2002) was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring names, Mr. Wrestling and Tim Woods. Collegiate wrestling career Woodin received a degree in agricultural engineering f ...

the name Mr. Wrestling. He died on October 31, 1992, in Omaha, Nebraska.

Kayfabe

Wally

Wally Dusek was the stage name of professional wrestler Charlie Santen who was born on August 10, 1909. Though billed as a Dusek brother when they teamed, they were unrelated. He was trained by famed wrestler

John Pesek John Pesek (February 21, 1894 – March 12, 1978) was an American professional wrestler and greyhound racing dog breeder. Nicknamed 'The Nebraska Tiger Man' for his ferocity, aggression and catlike dexterity, Olympic freestyle wrestling gold meda ...

. He was a road agent and an announcer for

Jim Crockett James Allen Crockett Sr. (June 2, 1908 – April 1, 1973) was an American professional wrestling promoter and professional sports franchise owner sometimes known as Jim Crockett Sr., or to people within the business simply as "Big Jim". Early lif ...

Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling Jim Crockett Promotions, at times branded as Eastern States Championship Wrestling and Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling, is a family-owned professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. Founded in ...

before retiring and died on October 29, 1991.

Frank

Frank Dusek (sometimes billed as "Captain" Frank Dusek) was the stage name of Frank Santen (Wally's real son), born June 1952. He was a wrestler, television commentator and matchmaker for

World Class Championship Wrestling World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW), later known as the World Class Wrestling Association (WCWA), was an American professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. Originally owned by promoter Ed McLemore, by ...

while the company was shown on

ESPN ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...

. He won the NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship from

Barry Windham Barry Clinton Windham (born July 4, 1960) is an American retired professional wrestler. The son of wrestler Blackjack Mulligan, he is best known for his appearances with the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) and the World Wrestling Federation (W ...

and commentated for the Universal Wrestling Federation.

Championships and accomplishments

Cauliflower Alley Club The Cauliflower Alley Club is a non-profit fraternal organization, which includes a newsletter and website, comprising both retired and active professional wrestlers and boxers in North America. Established in 1965 by Mike Mazurki and Art Ab ...

**Family Award (2000) *

Central States Wrestling Heart of America Sports Attractions, Inc., operating as the Midwest Wrestling Association, Central States Wrestling and the World Wrestling Alliance, was an American professional wrestling promotion that ran shows mainly in Kansas, Missouri, Nebr ...

NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship The NWA Central States championship was reactivated in 2002 seeing Shane Somers defeat. 7'1 Butch McClain becoming the 1st champion since 1989 & youngest at 19 years of age. Title history {{Professional wrestling title history middle {{BundleEn ...

( 1 time) – Joe Dusek **

NWA World Tag Team Championship (Central States version) The Central States version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship was the main professional wrestling championship for tag teams in Heart of America Sports Attractions, later known as Central States Wrestling (CSW) from 1951 to 1959, then again f ...

( 3 times) – Emil and Ernie Dusek *

Championship Wrestling from Florida Championship Wrestling from Florida (CWF) was the corporate and brand name of the Tampa, Florida professional wrestling promotion, wrestling office existing from 1961, when Eddie Graham first bought into the promotion, until 1987, when it close ...

** NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship ''(Florida version)'' ( 1 time) – Frank Dusek *International Wrestling Association (Montreal) ** IWA International Heavyweight Championship (1 time) – Ernie Dusek *

Maple Leaf Wrestling Maple Leaf Wrestling was the unofficial name of a Canadian professional wrestling promotion owned by Frank Tunney and based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada during the 1970s and 1980s. Founded in 1930, Maple Leaf was a territory of the National Wrestli ...

NWA Canadian Open Tag Team Championship The NWA Canadian Open Tag Team Championship was the top tag team professional wrestling championship (professional wrestling), championship in the Canada, Canadian professional wrestling promotion, promotion Maple Leaf Wrestling from 1952 through ...

( 1 time) – Emil and Ernie and Dusek *

** NWA Southern Tag Team Championship ''(Mid-Atlantic version)'' (

2 times "2 Times" is the debut single of English singer Ann Lee. It was released in Italy in December 1998 by X-Energy as the lead single from her debut album, ''Dreams'' (1999), and was issued worldwide the following year. The single peaked at number tw ...

) – Emil and Ernie Dusek * NWA Southwest Sports ** NWA World Tag Team Championship ''(Texas version)'' ( 1 time) – Frank Dusek and

Bill Irwin William Mills Irwin (born April 11, 1950) is an American actor, choreographer, clown, and comedian. He began as a vaudeville-style stage performer and has been noted for his contribution to the renaissance of American circus during the 1970s. ...

NWA San Francisco NWA San Francisco was a professional wrestling promotion headquartered in San Francisco, California in the United States. Founded in 1935 by "The Utica Panther" Joe Malcewicz (1897–1962), the promotion joined the National Wrestling Alliance in ...

** NWA World Tag Team Championship ''(San Francisco version)'' ( 1 time) – Emil and Ernie Dusek *

Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame The Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame (PWHF) and Museum was an American professional wrestling hall of fame and museum located in Wichita Falls, Texas; following the postponement of its 19th induction ceremony, planned for May 2020, and an annou ...

** Class of 2008 – Emil and Ernie Dusek *

Southwest Sports World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW), later known as the World Class Wrestling Association (WCWA), was an American professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. Originally owned by promoter Ed McLemore, by ...

** Texas Heavyweight Championship ( 1 time) – Ernie Dusek* *''

Wrestling Observer Newsletter The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') is a newsletter that covers professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. Founded in print in 1982 by Dave Meltzer, the ''Wrestling Observer'' website merged with Bryan Alvarez's ''Figure Four Wee ...

'' **

Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') Hall of Fame is a professional wrestling and mixed martial arts (MMA) hall of fame that recognizes people who make significant contributions to their professions. It was founded in 1996 by Dave Mel ...

(Class of 1996 – The Dusek Family) *'
Nebraska Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame
'' **Joe in 2018, Ernie, Emil and Rudy in 2021

References

External links

Dusek Riot Squad at OnlineWorldofWrestling.comEmile Dusek at OnlineWorldofWrestling.comDanny Dusek at OnlineWorldofWrestling.comErnie Dusek at OnlineWorldofWrestling.comFrank Dusek at OnlineWorldofWrestling.comWally Dusek at OnlineWorldofWrestling.com
* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20080820062951/http://www.pwhf.org/halloffamers/bios/dusek.asp The Dusek Riot Squadat the

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dusek Family, The Independent promotions teams and stables Professional wrestlers from Nebraska Professional wrestling families American people of Czech descent Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum Stampede Wrestling alumni