It takes a lot to kill a strong man
Pound for pound, Joe Rollino was one of the strongest men who ever lived. Five-foot five inches tall, weighing between 125 and 150 for most of his life, he set records for all sorts of muscular feats: lifted 475 pounds with his teeth, 635 pounds with a single finger, and a whopping 3,200 pounds with his back. He had a varied career as a boxer, longshoreman, and performer at Coney Island.
Rollino was born in 1905, but still walked five miles every single day. Here’s a photo of Joe at a party for his 103rd birthday, an event at which he entertained the guests by bending quarters with his thumb:
But alas, death must come to all, whether weak or strong—and so it came to Joe Rollino, at age 104. But not in the way you might expect.
It takes a lot to kill a strongman; even extreme old age wasn’t enough to fell Mr. Rollino. He was struck down by a minivan on one of his daily walks, and suffered injuries that proved to be fatal.
What an original. What a life. RIP, Joe Rollino.
I would change “strongman” to “strong man”.
The title with “strongman” in it made me think of Hugo Chavez.
Don: Not a bad idea. Will do.
How does a man like that get made before Creatine and steroids? Whatever it was, it ought to be the standard physical regimen of school kids and the military. I’ve always thought gym memberships were a scam.
Admirable – I can’t help but wonder how long he would have lived had he not been hit by this vehicle!
What a story! Gives me shot in the arm, a kick in the pants, a jolt of adrenaline. Keep on working out and eating right – you can live longer and more fully.
God bless and keep Joe Rollino.
Another death this week has gone reltively unnoticed on the blogosphere: Miet Gies, who helped hide the family of Anne Frank and who saved and preserved her diary, died on January 11. She was 100.
expat: I wrote this in honor of Gies’s 100th birthday.
expat — It was reported her (on FOX News) but I guess only those who cared took note. Don’t know if it was mentioned in MSM.
Neo — great story! And nice diversion from the politics we see reach new lows daily!
I’d never heard about Joe Rollino. But I’m glad that I have now. Unbelievable, at 104, after living such a life, to be felled by a minivan!
Ever heard of The Mighty Atom?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mighty_Atom_(strongman)
Awwwww. I wish I had heard of him prior to his demise. F’ing minivan….
Hey, we shared a birthday, March 19th. I’ve lifted weights and competed in scottish games and strongman stuff for 20 years now. I can’t do what he did and I weigh almost 2 of him.
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