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Frank Lentini, Three-Legged Boy

Francesco Lentini (July 8, 1884 - September 22, 1966) was an Italian-American showman. He was born with a parasitic twin. The twin was attached to Lentini's body at the base of his spine and consisted of a pelvis bone, a rudimentary set of male genitalia and a full-sized leg extending from the right side of Lentini's hip, with a small foot protruding from its knee. At the age of 8, his family moved to the United States, where he entered the sideshow business as The Great Lentini. He gained US citizenship at the age of 30. His career spanned over 40 years and he worked with every major circus and sideshow including Barnum and Bailey and Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. Lentini was so respected among his peers that he was often called "The King". In his youth, Lentini used his third leg to kick a football across the stage, creating his stage name, the Three-Legged Football Player. While his extra leg was several inches shorter than the others, his primary legs were also two different lengths. He was heard to complain that even with three legs, he still didn't have a pair. He married Theresa Murray and they had four children. He died of lung failure in 1966 at the age of 82. Edena Company, 1901.

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Title:

Frank Lentini, Three-Legged Boy

Caption:

Francesco Lentini (July 8, 1884 - September 22, 1966) was an Italian-American showman. He was born with a parasitic twin. The twin was attached to Lentini's body at the base of his spine and consisted of a pelvis bone, a rudimentary set of male genitalia and a full-sized leg extending from the right side of Lentini's hip, with a small foot protruding from its knee. At the age of 8, his family moved to the United States, where he entered the sideshow business as The Great Lentini. He gained US citizenship at the age of 30. His career spanned over 40 years and he worked with every major circus and sideshow including Barnum and Bailey and Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. Lentini was so respected among his peers that he was often called "The King". In his youth, Lentini used his third leg to kick a football across the stage, creating his stage name, the Three-Legged Football Player. While his extra leg was several inches shorter than the others, his primary legs were also two different lengths. He was heard to complain that even with three legs, he still didn't have a pair. He married Theresa Murray and they had four children. He died of lung failure in 1966 at the age of 82. Edena Company, 1901.

Credit:

Album / LOC/Science Source

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Image size:

3153 x 4350 px | 39.2 MB

Print size:

26.7 x 36.8 cm | 10.5 x 14.5 in (300 dpi)

Keywords:

1900S • 1901 • 1990S • 20 XX TWENTIETH CENTURY • 20TH CENTURY • 3 LEGGED • 3-LEGGED FOOTBALL PLAYER • 3-LEGGED • 90S • ABNORMAL DEVELOPMENT • ABNORMAL • ABNORMALITY • AMERICA • AMERICAN • AMUSEMENT • ASYMMETRICAL TWIN • AUTOSITE • BIRTH DEFECT • BOY • BW • CELEBRITY • CHILD • CONDITION • CONGENITAL • CONJOINED TWIN • CURIOSITY SIDESHOW • DISEASE • DISORDER • DIVERTISSEMENT • ENTERTAINER • ENTERTAINMENT • FAMOUS • FIGURE • FRANCESCO LENTINI • FRANK LENTINI • FREAK • GREAT LENTINI • HISTORIC • HISTORICAL • HISTORY • IMPORTANT • ITALIAN-AMERICAN • JOINED IN UTERO • MEDICAL • MEDICINAL • MEDICINE • NINETIES • NINETIES, THE • NINETY DECADE • NOTABLE • PARASITIC TWIN • PATHOLOGICAL • PATHOLOGY • PEOPLE • PERFORMER • PERSON • PERSONALITIES • PERSONALITY • PHOTO • PHOTOGRAPH • PHYSIOLOGICAL • PHYSIOLOGIE • PHYSIOLOGY • POLYMELIA • SCIENCE • SIDESHOW • THREE LEGGED • THREE-LEGGED FOOTBALL PLAYER • THREE-LEGGED • TWENTIETH CENTURY • UNEQUAL CONJOINED TWIN • UNHEALTHY • UNITED STATES • US • USA • VESTIGIAL • WELL-KNOWN • YOUNG • YOUTH