  john curtis holmes (august 8, 1944 â march 13, 1988) better known as john c. holmes or johnny wadd (after the lead character in a series of related films), was one of the most prolific male pornographic film actors of all time, appearing in about 2250 adult loops and pornographic feature movies in the 1970s and 1980s. he was best known for his exceptionally large penis, which was heavily promoted as being the longest, thickest, and hardest in the porn industry, although no documented measurement of holmes' actual penis length, girth, or tumescence has ever been confirmed. near the end of his life, holmes attracted notoriety for his involvement in the wonderland murders in july 1981, and eventually for his death from complications caused by aids in march 1988. holmes was the subject of several books, a lengthy essay in rolling stone, two feature length documentaries, and was the inspiration for two hollywood movies (boogie nights and wonderland). ==early life and education== john holmes was born john curtis estes on august 8, 1944 in the small rural town of ashville, ohio, about 25 miles south of columbus. john was the youngest of four children born to 26-year-old mary june holmes (nÃ©e barton); the name of his father was not listed on his birth certificate. mary and her husband, edward holmes, the father of holmes' three older siblings, dale, edward and anne, were separated numerous times throughout their marriage. mary changed john's surname to holmes when he was a child. in 1986, prior to a trip to italy, his mother provided him with the hand-written copy of his original birth certificate that holmes learned the name of his biological father, carl estes. john's mother was a devout southern baptist, who regularly attended the milport chapel church along with her children, 
1944_births 1988_deaths 20th-century_American_male_actors AIDS-related_deaths_in_California Actors_in_gay_pornographic_films American_drug_traffickers American_expatriates_in_Germany American_male_pornographic_film_actors American_prostitutes Male_prostitutes People_acquitted_of_murder People_from_Pickaway_County,_Ohio Pornographic_film_actors_with_HIV/AIDS United_States_Army_soldiers