James Poro grew up having an unusual relationship with his brother Matthew. That’s because Matthew was attached to his chest.
Poro was born in Genoa, Italy, in 1686, with a parasitic twin. It’s a condition in which one conjoined twin is incompletely developed and remains physically dependent on the other. In Poro’s case, Matthew appeared as a small, partially formed body protruding from his chest, complete with a head depicted in historical engravings with long braided hair. Matthew could make slight movements and could feel pain—he would allegedly cry if hurt.
Despite his unusual appearance, Matthew was regarded as a separate individual and, as stated in C.J.S. Thompson’s The Mystery and Lore of Monsters (1930), was even baptized.
In 1714, Poro was exhibited in London, where he attracted the attention of Sir Hans Sloane, the renowned physician and collector whose vast holdings helped establish the British Museum. Sloane reportedly commissioned a portrait of Poro and his unusual brother.
His image was featured in the September 1777 issue of The Gentleman’s Magazine. The magazine also showcased Lazarus Colloredo and his parasitic twin, Johannes Baptista—born in Genoa decades earlier in 1617. Colloredo would exhibit himself all across Europe during his lifetime.
Others with parasitic twins have been exhibited as well. In my book American Sideshow, I wrote about a few of them, including Laloo and Betty Lou Williams.
Laloo performed in the late 1800s. His twin was attached at his torso, jutting out from beneath his chest with four limbs and a functioning penis. But the latter limb wasn’t discussed, since showmen dressed the brother as a sister. As if the parasitic twin wasn’t strange enough on its own.
In the 1930s, Betty Lou Williams reportedly made $1,000 a week exhibiting her parasitic twin. The little sister had two legs and an arm. Betty Lou appeared at the 1933 Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! Odditorium when she was just one year old. She earned enough to support her family and put her siblings through college.
