Antonio Barichievich (October 10, 1925 – September 7, 2003), born Anton Barichevich and better known as The Great Antonio, was a Croatian-Canadian strongman, professional wrestler, and a Montreal eccentric artist. Barichievich was born in Zagreb, Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. Nothing is known about his early life and family aside that according to biographers, he started to do menial work by the age of six and could uproot trees by age 12. During World War II, he spent time at a concentration camp in the Independent State of Croatia. There is mention of Bagnoli displaced persons camp. He arrived as a refugee in Canada in 1945 and established himself in Montreal, Quebec. In the late 1940s, Barichievich made a name for himself with demonstrations of strength, and in 1952, he pulled a 433-tonne train 19.8 meters, a feat featured in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Moving forward, Barichievich would tour making demonstrations of strength and wrestled professionally. In 1960, he appeared for the second time in Guinness Book of World Records by pulling four city buses loaded with passengers. Barichievich wrestled until the late 1970s and demonstrated strength until the 1980s.
Until he died in 2003, Barichievich became a Montreal eccentric roaming the streets selling photomontage postcards of his past exploits. At the end of his life, his photomontages started to gain artistic recognition and are currently featured in museum exhibits.
Early life
Barichievich was born Anton Baričević in Zagreb, Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. Biographers have written that he went to work with a pick and shovel at the age of six and was able to uproot trees with a cable around his neck by age 12. Antonio was at the Bagnoli displaced persons camp during World War II. In 1945, he arrived by refugee ship in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. He never discussed his experiences during World War II, but writers speculate that he was psychologically affected by whatever he saw and experienced.
Despite his imposing stature, Barichievich is said to have sung with a soft, beautiful voice, and at one time wanted to tour with Tiny Tim. Barichievich purportedly almost won the Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship in wrestling in Calgary in 1971, but fans nearly rioted at the idea that Antonio, wrestling as a heel at the time, could appear and beat their hometown favorite.
Film and television
Barichievich appeared in several movies, including Quest for Fire (1982), A 20th Century Chocolate Cake (1983), and Abominable Snowman (1996). In addition, he made appearances on several television shows, including The Ed Sullivan Show and Johnny Carson's The Tonight Show.
Later life
As Barichievich grew older, he became a noted eccentric figure in his adopted home town of Montreal. He changed the story of his background on at least two occasions. In one instance, he claimed that, rather than being of Croatian descent, he was Italian.
Prior to his death in September 2003, Barichievich was working with Quartier Éphémère, to present his photomontage works in an exhibit about outsiders artists. the event took place between October and December of that year.
Also that year, the American Folk Art Museum presented Barichievich's "first institutional presentation of his works."
In 2017, The Barr Brothers reference Barichievich in their track "Song That I Heard" from the album Queens of the Breakers.
Also that year, Barichievich personal papers went into the archives of McCord Stewart Museum.
Death
Barichievich died in 2003 at the age of 77 of a heart attack while in a grocery store in Montreal.