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Joe Greenstein
Joe Greenstein
Joe Greenstein
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Joseph L. Greenstein (January 2, 1893 – October 8, 1977), better known as The Mighty Atom, was a 20th-century strongman known for highly unusual feats of strength and endurance.[1]

Key Information

Life and career

[edit]

Early life

[edit]

Greenstein was born to a Jewish family in Suwałki, Poland, in 1893. As a child he suffered from respiratory ailments, and at age 14, a team of doctors predicted he would die from tuberculosis. Around that time, he became acquainted with a Russian circus strongman, Champion Volanko, who mentored Greenstein. Greenstein traveled with Volanko and the Issakoff Brothers Circus for eighteen months, learning the strongman's training regimen. After this, he returned to Poland and married his wife, Leah.

Career

[edit]

He began his career as a wrestler. However, due in part to rising anti-Semitism in Eastern Europe, he then left for the United States. He first went to Galveston, Texas, working as a dockworker and oil field worker. He also wrestled professionally at this time as Kid Greenstein. In 1914, The Houston Daily Post reported that a friend of Greenstein accidentally shot him in the middle of the forehead. The report states the bullet did not enter his skull, and "flattened out against his forehead".[2] This experience sparked Greenstein's interest in the mental powers associated with strength, and he gradually developed an array of strongman feats.[3]

He was featured five times in Ripley's Believe It Or Not[4] and in the 1976 Guinness Book of World Records.[5] Two of Greenstein's feats included biting through an iron nail and bending iron horseshoes by hand. An iron nail and iron horseshoes are on display at the Weightlifting Hall of Fame in York, Pennsylvania.

Later in life, Greenstein sold coconut oil soaps and health elixirs at fairs and farmers' markets. He traveled in an old Model A truck with panels that opened to show his extensive collection of newsclippings and citations from civic leaders and organizations. New York City Mayor LaGuardia issued a proclamation, thanking Greenstein for showing his skills to the city's police department. Greenstein had volunteered to teach jujutsu techniques to members of the New York City auxiliary police during World War II, years before the technique became widespread in the United States. [citation needed]

Greenstein continued performing his strongman feats well into his eighties, giving his last performance at his great-grandchild's first birthday on May 11, 1977, at Madison Square Garden at the age of 84. He dazzled the audience by bending horseshoes and driving spikes through metal with the palm of his hand.

Personal life and death

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Joe and Leah Greenstein had ten children.

Greenstein succumbed to cancer on October 8, 1977, at age 84.

Legacy

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The story of his life has been told by Ed Spielman in the book The Mighty Atom and the documentary film "The Mighty Atom".[6] He may be the inspiration for the fictional character of Al Pratt, a costumed crime-fighter who went by the alias of The Atom.[7] Joe Greenstein's life and career are also the subject of the 2017 documentary The Mighty Atom.[8]

Joe Greenstein's 93-year-old son Mike Greenstein appeared on America's Got Talent in 2014 and successfully pulled a 3,500-pound (1,600 kg) car with his teeth.[8][9]

References

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Joe Greenstein

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Joseph L. Greenstein (1893–1977), better known by his stage name the Mighty Atom, was a Polish-American vaudeville performer and celebrated for his superhuman feats of strength, achieved despite his diminutive frame of 5 feet 4.5 inches and 145 pounds. Born in Suwalki, , Greenstein was a frail child suffering from and given little chance of survival past adolescence; at age 14 or 15, he fled home to apprentice under a Russian Cossack named Volanko (or a similar trainer), learning techniques of physical and mental discipline while traveling across and . He immigrated to the around 1908 or 1914, initially wrestling before transitioning to strongman acts in circuses, theaters, and public demonstrations, where he built a career spanning over six decades. Greenstein's signature performances included bending thick iron bars and horseshoes with his bare hands, driving spikes through metal or wood using only his palm, shattering chain links with his teeth, and extraordinary hair-based stunts such as halting accelerating automobiles or propelling airplanes backward on runways. As a proud Jewish immigrant amid rising , he often incorporated messages of resilience, health, and Jewish pride into his shows, using his platform during to sell war bonds through benefit performances. Greenstein married and raised a family, including son (known as Mighty Atom Jr.), who continued the family tradition with similar feats into the until his death in 2016. His life story, emphasizing the power of willpower over physical size, inspired a 1979 biography, The Mighty Atom: The Life and Times of Joseph L. Greenstein by , and a 2017 directed by his grandson Steven Greenstein. Greenstein continued performing into his 80s and died on October 8, 1977, at Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center in , New York.

Early life

Childhood and health struggles

Joseph Greenstein, born Yoselle Greenstein on January 2, 1893, in Suwalki, Poland (then part of the ), came from one of the poorest Jewish families in the region. His father worked as a to support the family, while his mother played a central role in nurturing his amid the hardships of life. His father later died of when Greenstein was a teenager, further straining the family. The family's dire poverty was compounded by the pervasive in the community, where Jewish residents like the Greensteins endured taunts, , and occasional simply for their heritage. Greenstein's childhood was overshadowed by chronic health issues that marked him as exceptionally frail from birth, having been born prematurely and given little chance of survival. He battled severe respiratory ailments, including symptoms akin to , which left him bedridden for much of his early years and isolated him from peers and normal activities. Doctors repeatedly warned his parents that he would not live to , confining him to a life of weakness and dependency in a time when medical care for such conditions was limited and ineffective. In 1907, at the age of 14, the cumulative weight of his illnesses, family , and societal drove Greenstein to flee his home in desperation, seeking any path to survival. He joined a traveling circus that had come to town, an act born of sheer necessity rather than adventure, as it offered a slim chance to escape his dire circumstances and contribute to his own upkeep. This decision marked the end of his sheltered, illness-plagued youth and the beginning of a profound personal transformation. This period of profound physical vulnerability later contrasted sharply with his development into a legendary .

Apprenticeship and transformation

At the age of 14 in 1907, Joseph Greenstein, driven by his early health struggles, ran away from home in Poland to join the Issakoff Brothers' Circus after sneaking in to watch the Russian strongman Champion Volanko perform. Rather than turning him away, Volanko took the frail boy under his wing as an apprentice, rejecting conventional medical treatments in favor of a regimen centered on mental , a strict raw food diet, and targeted physical exercises. Greenstein's daily training under Volanko emphasized visualization techniques to build willpower, combined with isometric holds and progressive feats such as bending small nails and tearing chains, while incorporating breathing exercises and a vegetarian diet heavy in raw vegetables and fruits. The apprenticeship lasted 18 months, during which Greenstein traveled with the circus across , , , and as far as , absorbing additional Eastern methods of mind control and that reinforced the core idea of harnessing mental focus to overcome physical limitations. By 1911, at age 18, Greenstein had undergone a profound transformation, significantly increasing his weight to reach a robust 145 pounds at 5 feet 4 inches tall, emerging as a picture of that astonished his former doctors. That year, after immigrating to the via , he gave his first public demonstration of strength by bending an iron bar, marking his readiness for professional performance. Greenstein adopted the stage name "The Mighty Atom" to reflect his compact stature and explosive power, developing a philosophy of "mind over matter" that drew from Volanko's teachings and Jewish traditions of resilience, asserting that true strength originated in unyielding willpower rather than mere muscle.

Professional career

Entry into performance

In 1911, Joseph Greenstein immigrated to the via , fleeing rising and pogroms in his native . Upon arrival in the US, Greenstein initially competed as a wrestler in Texas matches before transitioning to and contortionist performances. He worked as a dock laborer and in the oil fields to support himself, leveraging his transformed physique from earlier training to perform physically demanding tasks despite his diminutive frame. By 1914, seeking greater opportunities, he relocated to , where Greenstein transitioned into professional entertainment as a and , drawing on his apprenticeship experiences to develop his act. His debut performances began that year at , followed by appearances in houses, where he was billed as "The Mighty Atom" to highlight his extraordinary strength relative to his 5-foot-4-inch height and 145-pound build. These early shows established him in the entertainment world. Greenstein faced significant initial skepticism from audiences and promoters due to his small stature, which contrasted sharply with the typical hulking strongmen of the era; to counter this, he frequently engaged in on-the-spot bets and public demonstrations, such as bending iron or tearing chains, to prove his capabilities and build his reputation.

Signature feats and tours

Greenstein's signature feats showcased extraordinary strength relative to his compact frame of 5 feet 4½ inches and 145 pounds, emphasizing mental determination over physical size. He famously bit through iron chains with his teeth, crushed bars across his body, and drove spikes through thick metal and wood using only his bare hands. His most distinctive demonstrations involved his : pulling a 32-ton , bending bars, and holding back an accelerating on a . These acts, recognized in the Guinness Book of Records for the "world's strongest bite," were performed without mechanical aids or tricks, highlighting his philosophy of willpower as the key to capability. In the and , Greenstein peaked professionally through extensive tours on national circuits and sideshows across the , captivating audiences in theaters and fairs with live demonstrations. These tours solidified his reputation as a vaudeville star, blending entertainment with displays of resilience. Greenstein adeptly managed the business side of his career by issuing public challenges to anyone who could replicate his feats or defeat him in contests of strength, which generated publicity and packed venues. Beyond spectacle, his shows carried an inspirational message, urging audiences to cultivate physical and through , from —despite his own early respiratory illnesses—and positive thinking, positioning strength as accessible to all via .

Later career developments

Following , Joe Greenstein, known as the Mighty Atom, adapted to the diminishing popularity of by shifting his performances to smaller venues such as county fairs and private events, continuing his act through the and 1960s. He became a longstanding fixture at the York Fair in , entertaining audiences there for at least 55 years, often demonstrating signature feats like bending iron bars and driving nails with his bare hands. These appearances allowed him to maintain a connection with local crowds amid the rise of , which contributed to the decline of traditional stage shows. In the , Greenstein expanded into product ventures, promoting items aligned with his personal of strength and wellness, which emphasized mental discipline over physical size. He sold soaps, health elixirs, and laxatives like Pep-O-Lax at fairs, claiming they were superior to commercial alternatives and free of harmful additives such as "maggots" in regular soap. These products, often featuring his image, reflected his belief in simple, herbal-based remedies derived from his own recovery from childhood illnesses. Greenstein also trained other performers, including his sons, passing on his techniques for feats of strength during this period of semi-retirement. His career spanned over 60 years without major injuries, which he attributed to his health regimen and mental focus. Financial strains from the changing landscape occasionally led to side jobs, though he persisted with performances into his later decades. His final public show occurred on May 11, 1977, at at age 84, marking the end of a resilient professional journey.

Activism

Anti-Nazi confrontations

Greenstein's confrontations with Nazis and fascists in the 1930s stemmed from his Jewish heritage and firsthand encounters with during his early life in , where he was born in 1893 amid widespread prejudice against . After immigrating to the around 1914 to escape escalating anti-Jewish hostility, he developed a fierce commitment to Jewish pride and opposition to , frequently emphasizing in public statements that true strength combined physical power with moral resolve. Throughout the decade, Greenstein targeted the German-American Bund, a pro-Nazi group promoting fascist ideology in the U.S., using his renowned abilities to disrupt their activities and . His interventions often escalated into physical altercations, where he applied feats typically reserved for performances, such as tearing metal or overpowering multiple opponents barehanded. A prominent clash occurred in February 1939, following a major Bund rally at that drew over 20,000 supporters. Greenstein tore down a large banner displayed outside the venue, prompting an assault by 13 Bund members. Later that year, while walking in , Greenstein spotted a Bund storefront bearing an antisemitic sign reading "No Dogs or Allowed." He procured a , ascended the building, and destroyed the sign, igniting a brawl with 18 Bundists who rushed him. Employing his exceptional strength, he defeated the group, sending all to without sustaining serious injury himself.

World War II efforts

Following the in December 1941, Joe Greenstein, performing as the Mighty Atom, became an active participant in the Allied , leveraging his platform as a to promote and fundraising. Greenstein undertook bond-selling tours across the , where he captivated audiences at rallies with demonstrations of extraordinary strength, such as bending iron bars and horseshoes with his bare hands, driving spikes through wood with his bare hands, and pulling trucks loaded with passengers. These performances helped sell hundreds of thousands of dollars in war bonds without any compensation for his efforts. In addition to , Greenstein entertained troops at U.S. camps, showcasing his feats to boost morale and encourage among recruits. He also delivered lectures emphasizing the power of willpower and mental discipline in overcoming adversity, framing these ideas as tools against fascist tyranny and drawing on his pre-war resolve from confronting Nazis. Greenstein collaborated with Jewish organizations during this period, integrating his performances with messages of resilience and support for the war against Hitler, while volunteering his time for recruitment drives and related patriotic causes.

Personal life and death

Family and relationships

Joe Greenstein married Rachel Leah Kasperski in Poland around 1911, shortly before emigrating to the amid rising . Their lasted over six decades until Leah's death in 1974. The couple had ten children—five sons and five daughters—with the family settling in , New York, after initial stints in , and other locations. The sons, including Michael (known as Mighty Atom Jr.) and others like Harry, , and Jerry, joined their father's performances in and , forming a family act that showcased feats of strength alongside Greenstein. Daughters such as Judith Rosen, Esther Baskin, Micki Gelles, and Mary Jacobs supported the household during Greenstein's extensive travels, though his tours often meant prolonged separations from the family. As an observant Jewish family, the Greensteins maintained traditions at home in , including observances and holiday celebrations, which provided stability amid Greenstein's nomadic career. In later years, Greenstein enjoyed close ties with his grandchildren and , with grandson Steven Greenstein later producing a on his life and legacy. Leah played a key role in managing family affairs and assisting with performance bookings, ensuring the household ran smoothly while Greenstein was on the road.

Health philosophy and passing

Greenstein developed his health philosophy from personal experience overcoming severe childhood illnesses, including , which he credited to harnessing mental discipline alongside physical regimen. He strongly advocated for a vegetarian diet, viewing it as optimal for building strength without animal products, often citing the power of herbivores like bulls as evidence. This approach, combined with isometric exercises using odd objects rather than traditional weights, formed the core of his daily routine to maintain vitality into old age. Greenstein also promoted abstinence from alcohol and , emphasizing their detrimental effects on the body and mind, and claimed to have cured his own ailments through focused willpower and positive thinking, asserting that mental resolve could control physiological functions like heartbeat and recovery. In his later years, Greenstein continued to espouse these principles, recommending herbal remedies and natural healing methods as extensions of his mind-over-matter beliefs. Despite lifelong adherence to a non-smoking, lifestyle and vegetarian habits, he was diagnosed with in 1977. He passed away on October 8, 1977, at the age of 84 in , New York, at Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center. Greenstein's final days reflected his enduring philosophy. In archival interviews from the and , he stressed that true strength lay not in physical prowess alone but in inspiring others through willpower and ethical living, a legacy he hoped would outlast his performances.

Legacy

Cultural recognition

Joe Greenstein, known as The Mighty Atom, received formal recognition for his contributions to strength performance and Jewish heritage through several inductions into halls of fame. In 2010, he was posthumously inducted into USA's Hall of Fame, honoring his decades of performances at the iconic amusement area where he demonstrated feats like bending iron bars and driving spikes into wood with his palm. In 2011, Greenstein was inducted into the Hall of Fame alongside fellow strongman Slim the Hammer Man, acknowledging his influence on and entertainment during the early . Memorials to Greenstein's life include his gravesite at in , New York, where he was buried following his death on October 8, 1977, at age 84; the site serves as a quiet tribute to his journey from a frail Polish immigrant to a celebrated performer. In the 2020s, the in New York featured Greenstein's story in its collections and online exhibits, highlighting artifacts such as a 1927 photograph of him posing as The Mighty Atom and contextualizing his strength demonstrations within Jewish immigrant experiences in America. Greenstein's achievements have been documented in biographical works and visual media, contributing to his enduring historical acknowledgment. Ed Spielman's 1979 book, The Mighty Atom: The Life and Times of Joseph L. Greenstein, provides a detailed account of his rise from poverty and illness in Poland to international fame, drawing on interviews and personal records to portray him as a symbol of resilience. A 2017 documentary film, The Mighty Atom, directed by his grandson Steven Greenstein, chronicles his life through archival footage and family testimonies, emphasizing his superhuman feats and anti-Nazi activism; the film premiered at film festivals and was distributed on platforms like Amazon Prime, reaching wider audiences with its portrayal of Jewish strength in the face of adversity. Post-2020 scholarship and media have increasingly addressed gaps in Greenstein's recognition, particularly his role in early Jewish resistance against , which was previously underexplored amid focus on his physical exploits. Articles and exhibits from this period, such as a 2025 profile on Aish.com, reevaluate his pre-World War II confrontations with Nazi sympathizers as pivotal acts of defiance, integrating his story into broader narratives of Jewish heroism and cultural endurance.

Influence on strength and activism

Joe Greenstein, known as the Mighty Atom, profoundly influenced the fitness and communities through his emphasis on mental fortitude and unconventional . Fitness pioneer , often called the "Godfather of Fitness," drew early inspiration from witnessing Greenstein's feats as a teenager, including biting through nails and bending iron bars, which motivated LaLanne's lifelong advocacy for and bodyweight exercises. Greenstein's philosophy of "mind over matter" resonated in circles, promoting resilience and isometric training that echoed in mid-20th-century routines. In the 21st century, Greenstein's signature feats have seen revival through emulations in strongman performances and entertainment. His son, Mike Greenstein (Mighty Atom Jr.), continued the tradition into modern media, pulling a truck loaded with judges using his teeth on America's Got Talent in 2014, showcasing feats like chain-tearing and bar-bending that directly mirrored the original Mighty Atom's acts. These displays highlight a renewed interest in old-school strongman techniques amid contemporary competitions, where performers draw on Greenstein's legacy of compact power and willpower. Greenstein's against , amplified by his bond-selling tours featuring dramatic strength demonstrations, positions him as an enduring model for Jewish activists confronting hate. His unyielding stand against Nazi sympathizers exemplifies that inspires modern efforts to combat and . Culturally, Greenstein's life has permeated popular media, serving as inspiration for characters and recent storytelling. The DC Comics hero the Atom (Al Pratt), a diminutive powerhouse debuting in the , was modeled after Greenstein's real-life exploits of despite his small stature, with the character appearing in 1970s titles like Justice Society of America. In 2025, the Danish Historier fra fortiden devoted an episode to Greenstein, titled "The Mighty Atom: En Real Life Superhelt!," examining his philosophy of mental strength and anti-hate as a blueprint for personal resilience. Over time, perceptions of Greenstein have evolved from a sideshow curiosity to a of Jewish resilience and the triumph of will over physical limitations, reflecting broader cultural appreciation for narratives in strength and .

References

  1. https://www.nytimes.com/1977/10/09/archives/joseph-l-greenstein-mighty-atom.html
  2. https://mjhnyc.org/blog/the-mighty-atom/
  3. https://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/01/nyregion/for-mike-greenstein-91-a-truck-is-no-match-for-his-teeth.html
  4. https://www.rockawave.com/articles/farewell-mighty-mike/
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  6. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/151804154/joseph-greenstein
  7. https://www.usawa.com/joseph-l-greenstein-aka-the-mighty-atom/
  8. https://archive.org/details/mightyatomlifeti00spie
  9. https://aish.com/the-mighty-atom/
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  16. https://www.texasescapes.com/MikeCoxTexasTales/How-an-Underweight-Underdog-became-Mighty-Atom.htm
  17. https://starkcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/IGH1991_03_v01n0405-Complete.pdf
  18. https://www.ydr.com/story/news/history/blogs/yorkspast/2015/09/18/the-mighty-atom-entertained-at-the-york-fair-for-over-five-decades/74753886/
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  20. https://legendarystrength.com/mighty-atom/
  21. https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/parshat-devarim-the-mighty-atom/
  22. https://www.jta.org/2017/11/14/ny/some-real-jewish-muscle-2
  23. https://www.wnyc.org/story/when-nazis-rallied-madison-square-garden/
  24. https://forward.com/news/360944/4-great-nazi-punchers-in-history/
  25. https://todayinhistory.blog/2019/02/22/december-22-1943-the-mighty-atom/
  26. https://beezone.com/mightyatom/mighty_atom.html
  27. https://www.myheritage.com/names/leah_greenstein
  28. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRBs0h_Knk4
  29. https://www.j-grit.com/athletes-the-mighty-atom-strongman.php
  30. https://phspa.org/the-mighty-atom-and-slim-the-hammer-man/
  31. https://psmag.com/social-justice/building-a-strong-man/
  32. https://www.tabletmag.com/podcasts/vox-tablet/shtetl-born-strongman
  33. https://travsd.wordpress.com/2014/01/02/stars-of-vaudeville-852-the-mighty-atom-joseph-greenstein/
  34. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7026918/
  35. https://starkcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/igh2022_summer_v16n2-complete.pdf
  36. https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1001&context=historybooks
  37. https://www.cbr.com/atom-golden-age-al-pratt-joe-greenstein/
  38. https://podcasts.apple.com/dk/podcast/249-the-mighty-atom-en-real-life-superhelt/id1317320573?i=1000721325986
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