1. Giacomo and Giovanni May Have Had Children
One reason why Giacomo’s and Giovanni’s marriages were so scandalous is that any children that they may have would have dubious parentage. Chang and Eng Bunker had around 20 children, but they had separate genitalia, so there was no question of who the father of each child was. Should the Tocci twins be considered as one individual concerning having sired children? Or if Giacomo’s wife had a child, would he be listed as the father or vice versa? The fact that the two had one shared genitalia yet got married produced a whole host of problems, particularly in a society that was unwilling or unable to adapt to differences.
Whether or not the twins had their own children is a source of speculation. Some reports indicate that they had healthy children with no abnormalities. Other reports say that they died in 1940 without any children. The subject is complicated to verify, seeing as they lived as complete recluses. Verification would probably involve archival research in Venice, looking for birth certificates that may be connected to the brothers and that date from the late 1800s to early 1900s. But doing so might erase the enigma that has come to characterize the two brothers.
Where did we get this stuff? Here are our sources:
“Chang and Eng Bunker.” Wikipedia.
“Conjoined Twins Fast Facts.” CNN. October 18, 2018.
“The Tocci Twins- The Blended Brothers.” The Human Marvels.
“Abby and Brittany Hensel.” Wikipedia.
“The Conjoined Twins Who Inspired Mark Twain’s ‘Those Extraordinary Twins,'” by Tijana Radeska. The Vintage News. November 15, 2016.
“Puddin’head Wilson.” Wikipedia.
“Those Extraordinary Twins,” by Mark Twain. 2014.
“Morbid Monday: The Death of Chang and Eng, Conjoined Twins Until the Last,” by Laetitia Barbier. Atlas Obscura. July 15, 2013.
“Giacomo and Giovanni Battista Tocci.” Wikipedia.
“Oldest twins- Conjoined (ever, male).” Guinness World Records. October 25, 2014.
