Eddie Carmel, born Oded Ha-Carmeili (Hebrew: עו×"×" ×"כרמלי)
(March 16, 1936 â€" August 14, 1972) was an Israeli-born entertainer
with gigantism and subsequent acromegaly resulting from a pituitary
adenoma. He was popularly known as "The Jewish Giant", "The Happy
Giant," and "The World's Biggest Cowboy." Carmel was listed by the
Guinness Book of World Records as 9 feet (274 cm) tall, and billed at
the heights of 8 ft 9 in (268 cm) and 9 ft 0.625 inches (276 cm) tall,
though he may have more realistically been around 7 ft 3 tall. He was
variously a mutual funds salesman, carnival sideshow act, film actor,
rock and roll band singer, and stand-up comedian. He was made famous
by photographer Diane Arbus' picture Jewish Giant, taken at Home with
His Parents in the Bronx, N.Y. in 1970, a print of which sold at
auction for $421,000 in 2007 ($519,000 in current dollar terms). At
the time of his death at age 36, he had shrunk several inches, due to
kyphoscoliosis.Oded Ha-Carmeili (Hebrew: עו×"×" ×"כרמלי) was
born in Tel Aviv, Israel, to Orthodox Jewish immigrants, weighing 16
pounds, and was Jewish. An only child, he was raised in the Bronx, New
York, after his parents Isaac (Itzhak; an insurance salesman born in
Poland) and Miriam (née Pines) Ha-Carmeili (born in the United
States, and later a secretary at the Jewish Theological Seminary)
relocated back to the United States when he was two years old so his
mother could care for an ailing relative. His parents were 5 feet 6
inches tall, but his maternal grandfather in Poland was known as the
tallest rabbi in the world, at 7 feet five inches (226 cm). He lived
with his parents on Elgar Place in Co-op City in the Bronx.At 10 years
of age Carmel was 6 feet 1 inch tall. At 15 years of age he was 6 feet
6 inches tall, and was diagnosed with gigantism and acromegaly. When
he graduated Taft High School in 1954 he was 7 feet tall. He studied
at City College of New York for two years where he elected vice
president of his class, majoring in business and joining the Dramatic
Club, and Baruch College.Carmel was listed by the Guinness Book of
World Records as 9 feet (274 cm) tall, and billed at the heights of 8
ft 9 in (268 cm) and 9 ft 0.625 inches (276 cm) tall, though he may
have more realistically been around 7 ft 3 tall. He had a size 24
shoe. He was popularly known as "The Jewish Giant," "The Happy Giant,"
and "The World's Biggest Cowboy." "Eddie" was his nickname from his
youth, and Carmel was a stage surname.
(March 16, 1936 â€" August 14, 1972) was an Israeli-born entertainer
with gigantism and subsequent acromegaly resulting from a pituitary
adenoma. He was popularly known as "The Jewish Giant", "The Happy
Giant," and "The World's Biggest Cowboy." Carmel was listed by the
Guinness Book of World Records as 9 feet (274 cm) tall, and billed at
the heights of 8 ft 9 in (268 cm) and 9 ft 0.625 inches (276 cm) tall,
though he may have more realistically been around 7 ft 3 tall. He was
variously a mutual funds salesman, carnival sideshow act, film actor,
rock and roll band singer, and stand-up comedian. He was made famous
by photographer Diane Arbus' picture Jewish Giant, taken at Home with
His Parents in the Bronx, N.Y. in 1970, a print of which sold at
auction for $421,000 in 2007 ($519,000 in current dollar terms). At
the time of his death at age 36, he had shrunk several inches, due to
kyphoscoliosis.Oded Ha-Carmeili (Hebrew: עו×"×" ×"כרמלי) was
born in Tel Aviv, Israel, to Orthodox Jewish immigrants, weighing 16
pounds, and was Jewish. An only child, he was raised in the Bronx, New
York, after his parents Isaac (Itzhak; an insurance salesman born in
Poland) and Miriam (née Pines) Ha-Carmeili (born in the United
States, and later a secretary at the Jewish Theological Seminary)
relocated back to the United States when he was two years old so his
mother could care for an ailing relative. His parents were 5 feet 6
inches tall, but his maternal grandfather in Poland was known as the
tallest rabbi in the world, at 7 feet five inches (226 cm). He lived
with his parents on Elgar Place in Co-op City in the Bronx.At 10 years
of age Carmel was 6 feet 1 inch tall. At 15 years of age he was 6 feet
6 inches tall, and was diagnosed with gigantism and acromegaly. When
he graduated Taft High School in 1954 he was 7 feet tall. He studied
at City College of New York for two years where he elected vice
president of his class, majoring in business and joining the Dramatic
Club, and Baruch College.Carmel was listed by the Guinness Book of
World Records as 9 feet (274 cm) tall, and billed at the heights of 8
ft 9 in (268 cm) and 9 ft 0.625 inches (276 cm) tall, though he may
have more realistically been around 7 ft 3 tall. He had a size 24
shoe. He was popularly known as "The Jewish Giant," "The Happy Giant,"
and "The World's Biggest Cowboy." "Eddie" was his nickname from his
youth, and Carmel was a stage surname.
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