The Heartwarming Story Of The Romance Between 'The Monkey Woman' And 'The Alligator Man'
Percilla Met And Fell In Love With The Alligator Man, Emmitt Bejano
The unique pair met while performing with the Johnny J. Jones Exposition in the late 1930s. Percilla Lauther was described as having a beautiful singing voice and was an accomplished dancer by the time she met Emmitt Bejano, the Alligator-Skinned Man. Emmitt himself was described as kind and gentle; their love quickly bloomed, and they eloped in 1938.
They were just two people with rare skin disorders who truly understood each other and were on the same path in life.
Percilla's Parents Did Not Approve Of The Marriage
It was obvious to those who knew Emmitt and Percilla that they were not just in love - they were perfect for each other. They began making plans for the future, but surprisingly, Percilla's parents voiced their dissent.
Carl and Frances Lauther had been her adoptive parents since Percilla was just a toddler, and they had become very protective of her. They were also concerned that as the star of their show, Percilla shouldn't be too exposed to outside influences, such as a husband who might convince her to leave. In the end, the couple put their love for each other first and eloped in 1938.
The Two Became Partners In Life And In Work
Emmitt and Percilla left her adopted father Carl Lauther's show in 1945 and joined up with Ripley's Believe it or Not's traveling exhibition, performing as "The Strangest Married Couple in the World." They continued to work through the '50s and '60s as the Bejano Family. The pair had positive attitudes about their line of work, and even took some pride in it.
In a 1978 interview, Percilla said, "We have fun in our work... When they start making fun at me, I say, 'I can see you for nothing right here, but you had to pay to see me.'"
Emmitt added, "[Sideshow work] keeps me off the relief line. It’s an honest effort, and I feel more or less proud of the fact that I can earn my own living and can do anything anybody else can. Nature does funny things sometimes, but I’ve lived a normal life."
Both Emmitt and Percilla eventually worked with the "King of the Sideshows," Ward Hall, who had a lot of praise for Percilla in particular. He was quoted at a fairground in 2006 as saying:
She had an orange-green complexion and long, silky, beautiful hair all over her face and body. She was a very intelligent, educated lady and she loved to dance... Oh, I spent many hours dancing with Priscilla. She was a great Latin dancer and I loved Latin dances.
They Had A Strong Desire To Have Kids
Percilla and Emmitt were like many other married couples and wanted children. Sadly, their first experience with parenthood ended in tragedy. They had a daughter, Francine, who passed from pneumonia about four months after she was born.
Heartbroken but unwilling to give up, they decided to adopt a baby boy in 1960. His name was Tony, and they called their little piece of land in the town of Gibsonton, FL, P.E.T. Ranch. The nickname stood for Percilla, Emmitt, and Tony. He grew up working the carnival circuit with his parents, operating rides and selling concessions.
The Pair Earned Enough Money To Retire From Show Business
Emmitt and Percilla were very successful on the sideshow circuit, and even branched out into film later in their careers. The couple starred in Carny in 1980 with Gary Busey and Jodie Foster, and they also made appearances in several documentaries. They gave interviews in the '80s and '90s as some of the last veterans of the "freak show" culture; many of their contemporaries had quit or been phased out long ago due to the now-taboo nature of sideshows. Many of the shows had been shut down by activist groups.
They eventually retired and pulled away from life in the public eye in the early '90s.
Percilla Shaved Her Face After Emmitt's Death
Emmitt passed on April 17, 1995; he and Percilla had been married almost 60 years. It was at that point that Percilla started shaving her beard, and she continued to do so for the next six years. She made a few more television and documentary appearances, including the Jerry Springer Show, talking about her long life as a sideshow attraction and her beloved husband.
She passed in her sleep on February 5, 2001, at the age of 90.
Percilla's Father Brought Her To America To Put Her On Display
Percilla's biological father's logic was that if there was no cure for his daughter's condition, the family might as well use her unique appearance to make some money in the United States. Her parents had six other children back in Puerto Rico and could use the extra income. Percilla was 3 years old the first time she went on display for the public.
Percilla's father was originally from Spain and spoke mostly Spanish, so he needed a little help with promoting Percilla as a carnival attraction. He turned to professional showman Carl Lauther, who had years of experience running sideshows. Lauther immediately took an interest in Percilla, and he was helping to care for her when her father was shot and killed in Gainesville, FL.
Percilla's Promoter Adopted Her After Her Father's Demise
Percilla's father's last wish was for Carl Lauther and his wife to adopt Percilla; Lauther had been her sideshow promoter for a brief period of time before her father was slain. He and his wife adopted Percilla as their own, and they continued to promote her as an attraction.
The Lauthers reportedly treated Percilla very well. Percilla was very smart and fluent in English and Spanish. They hired a tutor to make sure she finished her schooling, and when she told them she was lonely, they gave her a pet chimpanzee.
It was very common for sideshow promoters to adopt their "human oddities" in the early 20th century, since their parents often couldn't handle them or knew that performing could give them a better life. Emmitt was also adopted by his promoter, Johnny Bejano.
Percilla Performed Side By Side With A Chimpanzee As A Young Woman
Carl Lauther was conflicted about Percilla's presentation as "The Monkey Girl." He wasn't a fan of the name and openly defended her when people heckled her or called her a "freak," but he gave in when he realized the "Monkey Girl" name was what drew the crowds.
Percilla performed with a trained chimpanzee named Josephine, and the pair had a bit of a balancing act in terms of personalities: Percilla was polite and graciously invited guests to her exhibit, while Josephine would smoke cigarettes and occasionally spit at guests.
Percilla's Family Had A Hard Time Accepting Her Condition
Percilla's biological mother and father had a hard time coming to terms with their daughter's condition. She didn't just surprise them - she surprised the entire medical community and general public of Puerto Rico.
Her parents brought her to the United States for testing repeatedly, but in the end, Percilla's mother gave up her rights to her daughter. She stayed in Puerto Rico with the family's other six children while Percilla's father put her on display in America. She did, however, occasionally come to America to visit her daughter throughout Percilla's long career as a performer.
Percilla Was Born With Hypertrichosis
Percilla Roman was born on April 26, 1911, in the town of Bayamon, Puerto Rico. Back then, people were a bit shaken by babies born with conditions such as hers, hypertrichosis. She was born with a full head of hair, two full rows of teeth, and hair all over her body.
Hypertrichosis is a congenital skin disease linked to the X chromosome, but can also develop later in life. Symptoms vary from person to person, but can include excessive hair growth, mild abnormalities in the face and teeth, and deafness.
Emmitt Had A Skin Condition Called Ichthyosis
Ichthyosis is defined as "a family of genetic skin disorders characterized by dry, scaling skin that may be thickened or very thin." Ichthy is a Greek root word for fish; it was this scaly, reptilian appearance that led to Emmitt's stage name, "The Alligator-Skinned Boy." The disease is fairly rare, with 16,000 babies born every year with some form of the condition and 300 born with moderate to severe ichthyosis.
There is no cure for ichthyosis, but doctors are developing treatments to ease the symptoms a person would suffer from throughout their life. Due to his condition, Emmitt was unable to sweat properly, so he would spend time between performances sitting in vats of ice water.
