GOGEA MITU

Mitu was born in Mârsani, near Craiova, in 1909, the oldest of eleven children, his mother being only 16 when she delivered him.

Mitu became world-famous because of his enormous stature. He is listed with various heights, among them 2.36 m (7 ft 9 in),[4] 2.42 m (7 ft 11+1⁄2 in),[5] 2.44 m (8 ft 0 in) and 2.49 m (8 ft 2 in).

Because of these characteristics he was very sought after by doctors and scientists who wanted to know the reason for his gigantism and by people who wanted to profit from his stature. By age 17 he had become so famous that a circus owner from Prague offered him a job, to be presented as a human rarity. He also presented shows at the Globus Circus in Monaco. His circus career was brief, but very fortunate, because he was spotted by the successful Italian boxer and talent scout Umberto Lancia, who taught Mitu how to box and later became his manager. Gogea Mitu went to Paris to attend the famous Paris School for Boxing and after graduating he started his boxing career.

Returning from Istanbul to Bucharest by train, he caught a cold and his manager suggested that before going home to Mârșani, he should remain in Bucharest for a few days to recover, but his condition got worse, and he was taken to "Filantropia" Hospital. On June 8, 1936, he died due to tuberculosis at the age of 26.