ry " ▁Rus so ▁is ▁the ▁father ▁of ▁Alex , ▁Justin ▁and ▁Max ▁Rus so ▁and ▁co - owner ▁of ▁the ▁W aver ly ▁Sub ▁Station , ▁with ▁his ▁wife ▁Ther esa ▁( wh om ▁he ▁accident ally ▁ins ult s ▁on ▁occasion ). ▁He ▁is ▁also ▁a ▁former ▁w izard , ▁who ▁chose ▁to ▁give ▁up ▁his ▁powers ▁to ▁marry ▁his ▁wife ▁Ther esa , ▁a ▁mort al , ▁due ▁to ▁a ▁rule ▁forb idd ing ▁w iz ards ▁to ▁marry ▁mort als . ▁Jerry ▁is ▁Italian ▁American ▁( De Lu ise ▁also ▁has ▁Italian ▁ancest ry ). ▁ ▁Jerry ▁Rus so ▁is ▁the ▁average ▁father . ▁He ▁is ▁stern , ▁protect ive ▁and ▁is ▁anno yed ▁by ▁Alex ▁and ▁Max ▁constantly , ▁and ▁even ▁by ▁Justin ▁occasionally . ▁Un like ▁his ▁children , ▁he ▁does ▁not ▁have ▁powers ▁any ▁more ; ▁non eth eless , ▁his ▁children ▁inherited ▁their ▁powers ▁from ▁him , ▁with ▁Max ▁having ▁a ▁fasc ination ▁of ▁the ▁magic ▁normal ▁humans ▁can ▁do ▁such ▁as ▁mic row ave ▁pop c orn , ▁Alex ▁being ▁a ▁natural ▁at ▁magic ▁yet ▁using ▁it ▁reck lessly , ▁and ▁Justin ▁contin ually ▁trying ▁to ▁improve ▁his ▁magic ▁through ▁knowledge . ▁Jerry ▁lives ▁on ▁W aver ly ▁Place , ▁a ▁street ▁in ▁dow nt own ▁Manh attan ▁with ▁his ▁mort al ▁wife ▁Ther esa ▁Rus so ▁( M aria ▁Can als ▁Bar rera ) ▁and ▁his ▁children : ▁middle ▁daughter ▁Alex ▁Rus so ▁( S el ena ▁G ome z ), ▁el dest