Antonio Barichievich (October 10, 1925 â€" September 7, 2003), was a
Croatian-Canadian strongman, professional wrestler, and eccentric,
better known by his ring name The Great Antonio. He was a popular
local figure in Montreal until his death.Barichievich was born Anton
BariÄ ević in Zagreb, Yugoslavia. Biographers have written that he
went to work with a pick and shovel at the age of six and was able to
uproot trees with a cable around his neck by age 12. Antonio was at
the Bagnoli displaced persons camp during World War II. In 1945, he
arrived by refugee ship in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. He never
discussed his experiences during World War II, but writers speculate
that he was psychologically affected by whatever he saw and
experienced.He was from the Croatian island of Losinj on the Adriatic
Sea, more precisely the town of Veli Losinj.Beginning in the late
1940s, Barichievich began appearing as a strongman in Montreal. He
first made it into the Guinness Book of World Records in 1952 by
pulling a 433-tonne train 19.8 metres. He later made it into Guinness
by pulling four city buses loaded with passengers. He weighed 465
pounds (224.5 kg) and stood about 6 foot 4 inches (1.93 m). His suits
were size 90 and his shoes size 28. He could eat 25 chickens or 10
steaks at one sitting. During the 1970s he toured the world as a
strongman and performer, appearing in world capitals and on popular TV
variety shows.
Croatian-Canadian strongman, professional wrestler, and eccentric,
better known by his ring name The Great Antonio. He was a popular
local figure in Montreal until his death.Barichievich was born Anton
BariÄ ević in Zagreb, Yugoslavia. Biographers have written that he
went to work with a pick and shovel at the age of six and was able to
uproot trees with a cable around his neck by age 12. Antonio was at
the Bagnoli displaced persons camp during World War II. In 1945, he
arrived by refugee ship in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. He never
discussed his experiences during World War II, but writers speculate
that he was psychologically affected by whatever he saw and
experienced.He was from the Croatian island of Losinj on the Adriatic
Sea, more precisely the town of Veli Losinj.Beginning in the late
1940s, Barichievich began appearing as a strongman in Montreal. He
first made it into the Guinness Book of World Records in 1952 by
pulling a 433-tonne train 19.8 metres. He later made it into Guinness
by pulling four city buses loaded with passengers. He weighed 465
pounds (224.5 kg) and stood about 6 foot 4 inches (1.93 m). His suits
were size 90 and his shoes size 28. He could eat 25 chickens or 10
steaks at one sitting. During the 1970s he toured the world as a
strongman and performer, appearing in world capitals and on popular TV
variety shows.
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