Occupation Sideshow performer Name Martin Laurello | Died 1955 | |
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Full Name Martin Emmerling Known for Could turn his head 180 degrees Similar Josephine Clofullia, Mary Ann Bevan, Ella Harper | ||
Martin laurello man with the revolving head
Martin Joe Laurello (born Martin Emmerling, 1885-1955), also known by the stage names Human Owl and Bobby the Boy with the Revolving Head, was a German-American sideshow performer and biological rarity who could turn his head 180 degrees. He performed with groups such as Ripley's Believe it or Not, Ringling Brothers, and Barnum & Bailey. He also trained animals to do things such as acrobatics.
Contents
- Martin laurello man with the revolving head
- Martn Laurello El bho humano
- Early life and career
- Personal life
- References
Martín Laurello - El búho humano
Early life and career
Laurello was born Martin Emmerling in Germany circa 1886. In 1921, together with a handful of other freaks from Europe, Laurello arrived in the United States. Laurello could turn his head 180 degrees. In the words of fellow sideshow performer Percilla Berjano, known as the "Monkey Girl", "[Laurello] could put his head all the way around". To accomplish this feat, he reportedly practised rotating his head for three years and also had to "dislocate various vertebrae". Being born with a slightly bent spine might have also aided Laurello in pulling off his act of flexibility.
For a period of time, Laurello was billed at the Bailey Circus as "Bobby the Boy with the Revolving Head". Laurello also worked at the New York City-based Hubert's Museum, mostly during the winter, as well as Ringling Brothers and Coney Island. During his stint at the Ripley's Believe It or Not! Odditoriums in the 1930s, Laurello managed to attract massive crowds. When performing, Laurello preferred to don a white shirt. He also trained dogs and cats to do acrobatic tricks.
Personal life
There is not much documented about Laurello's personal life. Berjano characterized Laurello as having sympathies aligned with the Nazis, expressing disdain for the American flag. In April 1931, Laurello found himself under arrest by the Baltimore police on charges of abandoning his spouse, following a complaint she filed through a telegram.
