ANTONIO BARICHIEVICH
1925-2003
Better known as the Great Antonio, he is a notorious figure in Quebec and the world. Of Croatian origin, Antonio was a strong man and a professional wrestler. He arrived in Montreal in the 1940s and was a popular local figure in the city until his death. He entertained the streets in his own way, to the delight of young and old alike. In 1952, he entered the Guinness Book of Records for pulling a 433 ton train over a distance of about 20 meters. He marked the Quebecers with his fights against bears in wrestling arenas and by his spectacular shooting of buses full of passengers attached to his hair.