Jerry Russo is Theresa’s husband and father to Justin, Alex and Max. Born a wizard and possessed of magical powers since childhood, he won family wizarding contests but gave them to his brother Kelbo Russo in order to marry the mortal Theresa. Jerry taught his children the proper way to use magic. He owns Waverly Sub Station and runs the restaurant with his wife.
Jerry Russo was your average dad. He is strict, protective, and often resents his children. Although he has no power, his children inherit it from him. He was known to want to be the bull rider for his backup plan. Jerry and his family lived in Waverly Place, a street in midtown Manhattan, above their restaurant. In some episodes, he is known for calling Theresa old.
Proud of his magical heritage, Jerry teaches his children new spells and the proper use of magic at his wizarding classes every Tuesday and Thursday. However, his children often ignored his magical rules, and he had to punish them.
In the episode “Alex in the Middle,” Jerry is actually the one who wins the family wizarding contest. He defeats Kerber and her sister Megan, but since wizards cannot marry non-wizards, he gives Kerber his powers so he can marry Teresa. Meghan is mad at him for giving his powers to Kerber instead of her, but he explains that Kerber needs her more than she does; he adds that while they’ll be fine without magic, Kerber doesn’t have magic would not survive. Jerry also said he once used magic to try to impress the girl, like in Wizards of Waverly: The Movie, but it “didn’t go well” because he ended up marrying her.
