Ben Zersen from Pender, Nebraska: "I have the largest chest expansion in the world" (11 1/2 Inches!)
In his lifetime, Zersen was (among other things) a circus performer, a minister, a wrestler, a musician, a salesman and a safety engineer. He played trombone in the circus and banjo in the original five-man Glenn Miller Band that Miller started in high school. Deep-breathing exercises after a near-fatal lung condition at a young age appear to have contributed to his remarkable swelling ability. He was featured in a 1929 Ripley's Believe It Or Not newspaper panel back when his expansion wasn't quite as impressive. Despite that, and this TV appearance, he never really gained much national attention for his unusual claim to fame. He was well-known back home in Nebraska, however. A larger-than-life painting of Zersen is on display at the Anna Bevis Palmer Museum in York, Nebraska. Zersen is 59 years old here, and accompanied by his son Billy.
Special guest Zippy the Chimp
This episode has not been reviewed. Details come from alternate sources. Secrets are not necessarily exact quotes.
