Sicilian-born Francesco (Frank) Lentini was a familiar figure in the early years of the 20th century for an obvious reason: He was born with three legs. One of the legs was malformed (probably from a twin that did not develop properly in his mother's womb). It served no useful purpose other than providing Lentini with a portable stool! Lentini's father was ashamed of him and exiled him from home. Lentini grew up withdrawn and depressed until he visited a home for the handicapped and saw children who were far worse off than he was. He emigrated to America in 1898 at the age of nine. Billed as the Three-Legged Wonder, Lentini appeared in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show and Ringling Brothers' circus. Lentini eventually married and fathered four normal children. He died in Florida in 1966 at the age of 77. Tags:FrankLentinithreelegs Added: 30th January 2008 Views: 687 Rating: Posted By:Lava1964
I remember being fascinated with these 'special' people when I was a kid, my dad had a copy of Ripley's Believe It Or Not and it contained many photos similar to this with their life stories. It wasn't until I was older that I realized how cruel it was for anyone to make a profit from publicizing the physical deformities of all those people.
According to the literature that circulated during Lentini's time, Lentini did not feel exploited at all. He felt he was luckier than many disabled people. Apparently he was a very charming and active person.
I saw a documentary on freak show performers about a year ago. When the movement to ban such exhibitions was gaining momentum, among the staunchest opponents were the performers themselves. They argued that banning freak shows would deprive them of their best way to make a good living.
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