Joe Bonomo born 25 December 1901 in Coney Island

Coney Island

Coney Island is a peninsula and beach on the Atlantic Ocean in southern Brooklyn, New York, United States. The site was formerly an outer barrier island, but became partially connected to the mainland by landfill....

 New York died 28 March 1978 in Los Angeles was a famous American weight lifter, strongman

Strongman (strength athlete)

In the 19th century, the term strongman referred to an exhibitor of strength or circus performers of similar ilk who displayed feats of strength such as the bent press , supporting large amounts of...

, film stunt performer

Stunt performer

A stuntman, or daredevil is someone who performs dangerous stunts, often as a career.These stunts are sometimes rigged so that they look dangerous while still having safety mechanisms, but often they are as dangerous as they appear to be...

 and actor.

As a child he built himself into a strongman winning the "Mr Modern Apollo" contest of 1921 where the prizes included a ten week movie contract. He began as a stunt double

Stunt double

A stunt double is a type of body double, specifically a skilled replacement used for dangerous film or video sequences, in movies and television , and for other sophisticated stunts...

 soon doubling for Lon Chaney

Lon Chaney

Chaney is an American surname of French origin, and may refer to:* Charles "Bubba" Chaney , Louisiana politician* Chris Chaney, US musician* Darrel Chaney, US baseball player* Don Chaney, US basketballer* Esty Chaney , US baseballer...

 in The Hunchback of Notre Dame

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923 film)

The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a 1923 American film directed by Wallace Worsley and produced by Carl Laemmle and Irving Thalberg. It stars Lon Chaney, Sr., Patsy Ruth Miller, Norman Kerry, Nigel de Brulier, Brandon Hurst. The film is the second most famous adaptation of Victor Hugo's novel,...

then playing a variety of roles. He lost the role of Tarzan

Tarzan

Tarzan is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungles by the Mangani "great apes"; he later experiences civilization only to largely reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer...

 in Tarzan the Mighty

Tarzan the Mighty

Tarzan the Mighty is a 1928 action film serial directed by Jack Nelson and Ray Taylor. It was nominally based on the collection Jungle Tales of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs. The film is now considered to be lost.-Cast:* Frank Merrill as Tarzan...

when he injured himself before shooting.

When sound came, Joe's strong Brooklyn accent precluded him from film roles. He remained famous by series of magazine adverts offering bodybuilding by mail order.

Reference

• Bonomo, Joe Strongman: A True Life Pictorial Autobiography of the Hercules of the Screen Kessinger Publishing, 2007

External links

• Joe Bonomo is my Hero http://www.sandowplus.co.uk/Competition/Bonomo/hero.htm