Angelo Faticoni (1859 – August 2, 1931) was a professional freakshow artist and

contortionist Contortion (sometimes contortionism) is a performance art in which performers called contortionists showcase their skills of extreme physical flexibility. Contortion acts often accompany acrobatics, circus acts, street performers and other liv ...

who was renowned for his unusual buoyancy. He was known as the 'Human Cork'. Faticoni was an Italian-American who discovered during his early childhood that he was able to float for long periods of time, although he did not use his abilities professionally until later life. Faticoni's professional feats include being sewn into a sack and thrown into a river attached to a 20-pound cannonball. A journalist at the time reported that Faticoni soon poked his head out of the sack and "he remained motionless in that position for hours". On another occasion, the artist swam across the

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tied to a chair which was weighted with lead. Doctors at

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tested Faticoni's abilities by observing him in a pool of water with a 20-pound lead weight tied to him. Faticoni stayed afloat for 15 hours. Doctors concluded that Faticoni's abilities were due to abnormal internal organs. Though contemporary scientists were unable to find illusionism in Faticoni's work, the media frequently suggested that his unusually abilities were due to other-worldly forces. Popular

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of the time suggested that spirits assisted him with staying afloat.''New York Herald Tribune'', August 13, 1931, p.8 c.1 Although the 'Human Cork' promised to reveal the secret of his buoyancy, he died before he was able to, passing away on August 2, 1931, at St. Vincent's Hospital whilst visiting relatives in

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. Faticoni's obituary in ''

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'' carried the headline; "Human Cork dies, secret untold".

References

1859 births 1931 deaths Italian emigrants to the United States {{US-artist-stub