Alexander Zass
| Alexander Zass | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 6 March 1888 Vilnius, Vilna Governorate, Russian Empire |
| Died | 26 September 1962 |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | The Amazing Samson Iron Samson Samson |
| Billed height | 167 cm (5 ft 6 in)[1] |
| Billed weight | 80 kg (176 lb)[1] |
Alexander Ivanovich Zass (6 March 1888 – 26 September 1962)
Biography
Zass was born on 6 March 1888[2] in Vilnius,[8] then part of the Russian Empire.[2] While a young man, Zass' strength training included "bending green branches".[6]
During
Following the war, Zass joined a circus to perform feats of strength, touring internationally.[8][9] It has been claimed that Zass was a spy and secret agent working for Russian military intelligence, using his circus travelling as cover.[2] In 1926, his autobiography, The Amazing Samson: as Told by Himself, was published.[11]
His first wife, Blanche M M Zass, died on 22 August 1928 in Forest Hill Kent aged 19.[2] He was still performing as a strongman in the 1930s.[10]
From the 1930s until his death, Zass lived in Hockley, Essex, staying in a bungalow along with other former circus acts.[2][12] He died in 1962; after a dawn funeral (a circus tradition), he was buried in the parish church of St Peter & St Paul in Hockley, England.[2] The inscription on the grave is: [three lines of Cyrillic script, translated as: Dear Shura [pet name for Alexander] You are always with us Sister Nadya Zass, nephew Yura] / ALEXANDER ZASS (Samson) / The worlds strongest man / died 26th Sept 1962 aged 74.[13] His estate was valued at £2263 2s.[14]
He was honoured with a statue in a museum in Orenburg, Russia.[2]
Strength feats
Zass has been credited with various feats of strength:
- Carrying his injured horse in wartime[8]
- Carrying on his shoulders two lions as part of his circus act[8]
- Carrying on his shoulders simultaneously a grand piano, a pianist and a dancer.[15]
- Catching a woman fired from a cannon[12]
- Suspending a piano from his teeth[2]
- Bending with his bare hands an iron bar 5 inches long and 0.625 inches square into a U-shape[16]
- Being able to "pound a 5-inch spike through a 2 inch thick plank using only the palm of his bare hand"[16]
References
- ^ a b Sputnik. University of California. 1982. p. 174. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
- ^ ISBN 9780750955454. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
- ISBN 9781559385251. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
- ^ ISBN 9781478393276. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
- ^ ISBN 9781466457843.
- ^ ISBN 9781849544894.
- ISBN 9781840021165. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
- ^ ISBN 9781851094592. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
- ^ ISBN 0890091668.
- ^ ISBN 9780856850912. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
- ^ Zass, Alexander; Pullum, William Albert (1926). The Amazing Samson: as Told by Himself. With a Foreword by W. A. Pullum. [With Plates.]. London.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ ISBN 9780752462639. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
- ^ "Find a Grave". FindAGrave. Archived from the original on 2021-09-04. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
- ^ England and Wales, National Probate Calendar 1962
- ISBN 9780521280235. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
- ^ ISBN 9780498066511. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
External links
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| National | |
