Francesco Lentini and His Incredible Life
(05/18/1889 – 09/22/1966)
Born in Syracuse with three legs, two genitalia, and four feet, he was quickly given the derisive nickname by his fellow townspeople: “u maravigghiusu” (the marvelous).
Due to superstition and embarrassment, he was abandoned by his parents and spent the early years of his life in an orphanage.
But in 1898, a turning point came: his father decided to take him to America where an uncle also lived. Soon after, his name (sometimes Frank, or Francis, or even Francisco) gained significant popularity in the freak show circuit where he performed alongside a cannon woman, an albino, a snake charmer, and a tattooed woman.
He became a true celebrity: he was called “𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘚𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘯” or more simply “𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘓𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘪”, and in posters, he was seen juggling with his third leg.
His success was such that it allowed him to become independent, traveling as far as Cuba and then South America, before returning to Europe (Rome, Paris, Berlin) for a tour with the Elephant Man, monkey men, bearded women, dwarfs, and a giant.
He became a star of the so-called “freak shows,” turning his deformity, displayed without any shame and often cited with great self-irony, into his strength.
A cultured and kind man, always smiling, he returned once to his native town, where he was triumphantly welcomed by those who had previously mocked him.
Francesco Lentini traveled the world, lived for a long time in Connecticut, and married a very beautiful actress, 𝗧𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗮 𝗠𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘆, with whom he had four children.
He died in Jacksonville, Florida on September 22, 1966. Rich and happy.
P.S.: In the bottom right photo of the collage, actor Jonathan Redavid appears, who played Francesco Lentini in the Hollywood mega musical “The Greatest Showman” directed by Michael Gracey.
