He polished his skills at the Boys' Brotherhood Republic (BBR), the Jewish People's Institute (JPI) and Crane Technical High School.

[7] Strait-laced Silverstein won the Illinois State Championships in his first event as a pro, a victory which laid the groundwork for his celebrated professional career.

[6] Undefeated for many years, he ultimately won two AWA World Titles[8] and was twice the WLW Television Champion (1951 and 1952).

[6] To many people, Silverstein represented an honest and clean style of pro wrestling, traits that were fast disappearing as the sport grew in popularity.

He had a notable match against NWA World Heavyweight Champion Lou Thesz in a losing effort in 1950.