The Behind-The-Scenes Story: World's Tallest Man's Legacy Immortalized By Iconic Statue
ALTON — Forty years ago today, on July 29, 1985, the site for the Robert Pershing Wadlow Statue in Upper Alton was officially staked out, marking the beginning of a community effort to honor the world’s tallest man. The statue was completed and dedicated during a two-day celebration on Oct. 19-20, 1985. Steve Tassinari, co-chair of the Robert Wadlow Statue project, with the late Ron Vanata, recalled how his childhood fascination with Wadlow grew into a mission to bring renewed spirit to the Alton community. “I became interested in Wadlow as a boy, like many of the other Alton area boys,” Tassinari said. Tassinari and many other boys used to visit the Wadlow grave and put themselves next to the graveside and imagine how tall Robert actually was in the end. He was 8-feet-11.1 inches tall at the time of his death. He remains the world's tallest man in the Guinness Book of World Records. Tassinari's interest was rekindled in the 1980s when he demonstrated