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Francesco
Lentini was born in Italy in 1889 with 3 legs and 2 penises. One account
says that his parents were so horrified by his physical "additions"
that they had nothing to do with him, leaving him to be raised by an aunt
and uncle. As a child, he was unhappy with his physical characteristics. So, his parents took him to a home for disabled children. There he saw people who couldn't even walk, much less play soccer like he did. After that, he had a much better attitude. In fact, he wrote of the incident, "From that time to this I have never complained. I think life is beautiful and I enjoy living it." By all accounts, he was a very pleasant and kind man. He moved to the U.S. and showed in many carnivals, including his own. He was known as the "Three Legged Wonder" and the "King of Freaks." He died in 1966 at 78 years of age. He was survived by his wife, Helen, and several children. |
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The figure is made of hand-sewn leather. I also made all the clothing and furniture. The central spindle I turned on a lathe, which was really a lot of fun to do. All the sculptures will have a similar composition, if differing colors and furniture styles. Finally, I'll paint small sideshow banners to "advertise" each exhibit. The full Lentini sculpture stands about 6 feet tall. The figure himself is about 13" high. |
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