Fortunately, the vintage fascination with American “freak shows” has been left behind in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Carnivalgoers were awed by the bizarre results of procreation in bearded ladies, strongmen, sword swallowers, and little people like Tom Thumb. But how these performers fared as the morbid fascination for paying customers is difficult to understand, especially given the scarcity of honest information on them.
This was the case with Franceso “Frank” Lentini, the so-called Three-Legged Man, who made a living off his unusual condition of being born with a parasitic twin.
Early Life of Frank Lentini
Frank Lentini was born in Sicily, Italy, in May 1889, as either an only child or the fifth of twelve children. He had three legs, four feet, 16 fingers, and two sets of genitals.
His extra leg grew out of the side of his right hip, and a fourth foot protruded from his knee. His condition was caused by a second embryo that began to develop in the womb but was unable to separate from its twin. As a result, one twin came to dominate the other.
Lentini was taken to a specialist at four months old to discuss the possibility of amputating his extra leg, but the doctor refused due to the risk of paralysis or even death.
In Corsican, he was known as “u maravigghiusu” or “the marvel,” or, more cruelly, “little monster” around his hometown. To avoid further embarrassment, Lentini’s family sent him to live with an aunt.
Lentini, then nine years old, travelled to America with his father in 1898, where they met a man named Guiseppe Magnano in Boston. Magnano, a professional showman, had been in America for three years when he met with Lentini about possibly joining his shows.
Francesco “Frank” Lentini was listed as one of the top acts in the world-famous Ringling Brothers circus just one year later, in 1899.
Three legged football player
Lentini was dubbed “The Three-Legged Sicilian,” “The Only Three-Legged Football Player in the World,” “The Greatest Medical Wonder of All Time,” and “The Great Lentini” at times.
The young man used his third leg to kick a soccer ball, jump over a rope, skate, and ride a bicycle.
Lentini was not only athletic, but also quick-witted and funny. Lentini was known for giving interviews while using his extra limb as a stool to lean on, answering questions ranging from the innocently curious to the explicit. The Three-Legged Man was able to give hilarious answers to some rather intrusive questions, whether it was about his hobbies or the specifics of his sex life with an extra leg.
When asked if buying shoes in a set of three was difficult, Lentini replied that he bought two pairs and gave the “extra one to a one-legged friend.”
He was known for his charming self-deprecation and joked that he was the only man who didn’t need a chair because he could always rely on his third leg as a stool.
Lentini learned to speak English while travelling around the United States and was known for his poise, intelligence, and unabashed pride in his deformity. He amassed considerable fame and fortune.
Despite his unconventional career path, Lentini was able to woo a young actress named Theresa Murray with his charisma. They married in 1907 and had four children: Josephine, Natale, Franceso Jr., and Giacomo.
While Lentini and Theresa eventually divorced in 1935, the Great Lentini found love again and went on to spend the rest of his life with a woman named Helen Shupe.
Frank Lenitini’s career
Lentini appeared in Ringling Brothers Circus sideshows and Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show. He had never stopped touring by the time he died of lung failure at the age of 77 in 1966.
In 2016, 50 years after his death, Lentini’s hometown of Rosolini in Sicily held a two-day memorial festival to honour their unconventional hometown hero. The memorial was open to all of Frank’s descendants, near and far.
While sideshows have fallen out of favour as America’s primary form of entertainment, the public’s fascination and even romanticization of the era has never faded.
For example, the 2017 film The Greatest Showman featured a rotating cast of sideshow characters based on real-life performers. Naturally, Francesco “Frank” Lentini, played by Jonathan Redavid, made an appearance.
Frank Lentini’s success reminds us how amazing and fantastical the fully realised American dream can be. One of the many reasons Francesco “Frank” Lentini found success and happiness in America was by viewing his parasitic twin as an asset rather than a hindrance.
“I’ve never complained,” Lentini said later in life. “I believe that life is beautiful and that I enjoy living it.” Frank Lentini died rich and happy at the age of 77 of lung failure in 1966.
