Frank Lentini: Difference between revisions

|partner = Helen Shupe (1935&ndash;1966)<ref name="official"/>

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==Biography==

===Early life===

Lentini was born with a [[parasitic twin]]. The twin was attached to his 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 his hip, with a small foot protruding from its knee.

===Sideshow career===

 

In his youth, Lentini used his extraordinary third leg to kick a [[soccer|football]] across the stage, hence his show name, the ''Three-Legged Football Player''. By the time he was six, Lentini's normal legs were slightly different in length—one was 39 inches, the other 38 inches—but the third leg was only 36 inches, and the foot on it was [[club foot|clubbed]].<ref name=Trivia/> Even more as an adult, 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 did not have a pair. In 1907<ref name="official"/> he married Theresa Murray, three years younger than he, and they had four children: Giuseppina (Josephine), Natale (Ned), Francesco (Frank) Junior and Giacomo (James).<ref name="Barresi">{{it icon}} {{cite news |last=Barresi |first=Mario |url=http://www.ragusanews.com/articolo/17157/l-uomo-di-rosolini-che-aveva-tre-gambe-e-due-paia-di-organi-genitali |title=L'uomo di Rosolini che aveva tre gambe. E due paia di organi genitali |work=ragusanews |date=August 29, 2010 |accessdate=September 27, 2012}}</ref> When Frank and Theresa separated about 1935, he began a new life with Helen Shupe with whom he lived until his death.<ref name="official"/> Lentini died of [[lung failure]] in [[Jackson, Tenneesee]], on September 21, 1966, at the age of 77.<ref name="official"/>