The Trio was composed of the era's dominant World Heavyweight Champion Ed "Strangler" Lewis and his manager Billy Sandow, as well as fellow wrestler and creative visionary Joseph "Toots" Mondt.
[1] Born in Iowa on January 18, 1894, he grew up in Greeley, Colorado, where he learned the art of wrestling through a correspondence course administered by grappling guru Martin "Farmer" Burns, who had been the nation's preeminent professional wrestler during the late nineteenth century.
At the time, pro wrestling consisted primarily of mat grappling; and while the sport had flourished a decade earlier under Frank Gotch, the fans had since grown tired of the painfully deliberate pace of the bouts.
This new style of action (which included radical moves like body slams, suplexes, arm drags, and the addition of fisticuffs) combined with traditional mat grappling to create what has essentially become the modern form of pro wrestling.
As interest grew, cards moved from old burlesque theaters to major sports venues; and due to the larger gate receipts, Sandow was able to recruit hundreds of grapplers to join their stable.
[5] In the process, the Trio established a hierarchy for their talent, as only legitimate grapplers were ever considered as champions; though inferior wrestlers who possessed charisma or ethnic appeal were often "pushed" as challengers to attract specific fan bases or regions.
Meanwhile, Toots Mondt would become one of the industry's most powerful brokers, as he partnered with Ray Fabiani in promoting the rise of legendary champion Jim Londos while also training such future stars as Antonino Rocca and Stu Hart.