Matina Brothers
The Matina Brothers (a.k.a. "Matina Midget Troupe") were a Hungarian-born trio of American entertainers known for their short height. History. Lajos Matina, the eldest, was born in Hungary on September 12, 1893, followed by twin brothers Bela and Matyus in 1901. The trio of brothers later moved to America where they became naturalized American citizens. The brothers soon joined a troupe which was led by an individual named "Prince Ludwig" who dubbed them the "Matina Midget Troupe". In 1915, Lajos married Elise Broek who was a suffragette. Each brother played a munchkin villager in the 1939 film  The Wizard of Oz where Bela was billed as "Mike Rogers" (Matina), and Matyus "Ike Rogers" (Matina). Lajos also became known as "Leo" Matina while working beside his brothers "Mike" and "Ike". There is a possible but unverified connection that came from the nicknames with the candy Mike and Ike which first appeared in 1940. Author "Dean Jensen" writes that the younger twin brothers became very popular in America to an extent that a boxed candy was named after them. Various other theories exist however, as the company does not provide a last name for the two founders of the  brand. The brothers continued in show business after the movie, and Leo eventually filled in as a chef for the troupe. The first brother to pass away was Mike Matina ("Bela"), who died on June 12, 1954. It is unknown what happened to Leo or Ike Matina; the last mention of the remaining brothers in Billboard Magazine is from March 30, 1957 mentioning a birthday party for "Ike" Matina. Bela and Matyus ("Mike & Ike") currently hold the world record for the "shortest twins" at just each. Controversy. Bela, and Matyus ("Mike & Ike") were described as problem drinkers, who tried to  get fellow Munchkins to share in their overindulgence while the Wizard of Oz was in production (it is unclear if this was done on or off site). In a 1967 interview, Judy Garland referred to all of the Munchkins as "little drunks" who got intoxicated every night to the point where they had to be picked up in "butterfly nets". These accusations were denied as fabrications by fellow Munchkin Margaret Pellegrini, who said only "a couple of kids from Germany even drank beer".