Often ridiculed and outcast due to old-fashioned superstitions, those with unique and misunderstood conditions found their place in the side-show, where they were accepted and could make a decent living from their uniqueness. In the hair day of the circus, it would roll into town with colourful banners enticing curious crowds to part with their hard earned money for a glimpse of the unique. And they certainly don't get more unique than this next performer. In today's episode of Unusual as usual, we're looking into the inspiring life of the three-legged man, aka Frank Lentine. Francesco Lentine was born on the 18th of May, 1889, in Rosalini, Sicily. He was the fifth of 12 children, seven sisters and five brothers, every one of them born normal except from Frank. Frank was different. When he was born, the midwife hid him in a reed basket under the bed and ran from the room's screaming. When his mother uncovered Frank from his cotton blanket, she very quickly understood the reason for the screams. Lentine was born with a parasitic twin, technically making him fifth out of 12 and a half children. The twin was attached to his body at the base of the spine, inconsistent of a pelvis bone, a set of male genitalia, a full-sized leg extending from the right side of his hip and an extra foot, small in size and protruding from its knee. In total, he had three legs, four feet and 16 toes. Although at first his abnormalities slowed him down by aged five, he was playing with other kids and was able to completely straighten his third leg, but not able to walk. As a child, Lentine hated his extra limbs, and to further complicate his situation, all of his legs were of different lengths. By the time he was six, one of his legs was 39 inches, the other 38 inches. The third leg was only 36 inches and the foot on it was clipped. He was heard to complain that even with three legs, he still didn't have a matching pair. Doctors determined that because of their proximity to his spine, removal could cause him to become paralyzed. One day, he was taken to an institution for disabled children. While there, he saw children far worse off than him, and he gained a new appreciation for life. He learned to adapt to his body, learning how to walk, how to rum, learning how to jump rope, ride a bike, a horse, and even how to ice-get. But his favorite hobby was to swim. He was a gifted swimmer, thanks to one clear advantage. While swimming, he would use his extra leg as a rudder. His visit to the institution was an experience he noted for many years as a major motivation. As a young child, his third leg had always caused him embarrassment, but after this experience, he viewed the extra limb as an opportunity to educate and entertain others. In 1898, at the age of 9, Lentini arrived in America and became an instant hit. He charmed crowds with his keen wit and sense of humour. He wowed audiences with his unusual agility. He wore custom trousers and special ordered his shoes three at a time. He learned to sit and to sleep by putting his third leg on a nearby trunk. And when the extra leg no longer reached the ground, he opted to tie it to an adjoining leg. Lentini would kick a football across the stage using his third leg, which gained him the very catchy stage name, the three-legged football player. He had amazing control over his extra appendage, but as he grew older, his performances started to focus more on his charming character, rather than his unique appearance. He began working with the Ringland Brothers' Barnum and Bailey Circus, where he was built as the three-legged man and the great Lentini. He would tell stories of his life while propping himself up on his extra limb like a stool. He answered questions ranging from his hobbies to the intricate details of his sex life. And seeing as he had two sets of function in Genitalia, is little surprise that that became an area of interest during his act. Another question he was asked was about his shoes. People wondered if it was difficult to buy shoes in a set of three, but Lentini, having a pretty good sense of humour, often replied that he simply bought two pairs and gave the spur to his one-legged friend. His charm didn't go on notice, and a young lady named Theresa Murray took a liking to Lentini. The pair soon married and together they had four healthy children. Lentini was a key musician and often played the banjo on ukulele during his acts. Also, after his show, he would sell a six-page pamphlet for 25 cents, called the Life History of Francesco a Lentini, three-legged wonder. The titles of the pamphlet's chapters where O'Bare Nature's laws, Poisons are not remedies, the mother during pregnancy, illicit intercourse and the physiology of sex life. Lentini continued touring up until his death on the 21st of September 1966, when he died of lung failure in Jackson, Tennessee, at the age of 77. The most advanced age anyone living with his condition is documented to have reached. His career spanned over 40 years, and he worked with every major circus and sideshow in America, including Corny Island and Buffalo Bill's Wild West Shell. He was so respected among his peers that he was often referred to as the King of the Freaks, even sometimes shortened to just the King. Lentini thrived in the face of adversity and will be remembered through history for his bizarre condition as well as his positive attitude, and probably his multiple penises too. His photos are iconic with side shows of yesterday and his images featured on the back cover of America Rock Band Alice in Chains is self-titled 1995 album. His likeness is portrayed in the musical side show, and in more recent years, Jonathan Reddavid played Lentini in the 2017 blockbuster film The Greatest Showman. But more interestingly, Swedish magician Axel Adler has used his magical knorrhow to create a similar style before Mr Lentini's. The magic part, Adler was born with two legs, not three. However, with the clever use of slight of hand, or in this case, slight of foot, he gives the illusion that you are once again witnessing the three-legged wonder live on stage. And there we have it, the inspiring life of Frank Lentini, the three-legged man. He was a three-legged footballer, three-legged swimmer. What else do you think three-legged would give you the advantage? Let me know in the comments section below, and of course, don't forget to like and subscribe. That's all we've got time for today, but I'll see you all next week, and as always, stay unusual as usual.