The town isn’t always welcoming to
outsiders. Gibsonton was an escape for
those who worked the sideshow circuit; a
place where performers could go without
fear of being discriminated against or
ridiculed. Some of this fear remains to
this day. Gibsonton still generates interest
and has been the setting or inspiration for
movies, TV shows, and books. So, there
remains a level of attention in which not all
residents are comfortable.
When Gibsonton was at its height of
sideshow popularity, many residents kept
exotic pets, which were often part of their
acts or part of another circus performance.
This made it necessary for special zoning
laws to be implemented. Tigers, monkeys,
and elephants were just a few of the animals
residents were permitted to keep in their
yards. Zoning also allowed carnival rides
on personal property, and some, in the
crumbling fi nal stages of decay, are still
on display. Rumor has it that if you look
carefully, elephants can be found hidden
away in Gibsonton.
Gibsonton Was the Setting for the
Infamous Lobster Boy Murder
Grady Stiles was better known as the
world-famous Lobster Boy. With his fi ngers
and toes merged, giving them a claw-like
look (also known as ectrodactyly) the name
Lobster Boy was coined for use on the
sideshow circuit.
After Grady Jr. was born, he was ushered
into his father’s sideshow act at the age of 7.
Stiles married twice and had four children,
two of whom also had ectrodactyly. Stiles
and his two children toured together as The
Lobster Family.
While his ectrodactyly left Stiles unable
to walk, Stiles would sometimes use a
wheelchair. However, he most commonly
used his hands and arms for locomotion and
developed substantial upper body strength
that, when combined with his bad temper
and alcoholism, made him dangerous to
others.
Despite his fame, he was also rumored
to be a nasty human being which is what
eventually led to his murder. After years of
alcoholism, domestic abuse, and murdering
his daughter’s fi ancé the night before the
wedding, he was brought to trial and openly
confessed to killing the man. Stiles was
convicted of third-degree murder, but was
not sent to prison. Because no state prison
was equipped
to care for an
"Lobster
inmate with
Boy"
ectrodactyly,
Grady
Stiles
Stiles was
instead
sentenced to
house arrest
and 15 years
probation.
Stiles’ actions
fi nally caught
up with him
when his wife and her son hired another
circus performer named Chris Wyant to kill
Stiles for $300. All three were given prison
sentences.
Stiles was despised so much by the local
community that only 10 people came to
his funeral, and nobody volunteered as a
pallbearer.
Ryan Murphy’s popular FX anthology
series, “American Horror Story’’ was
called “Freak Show,” and was inspired by
Gibsonton. Some of the town’s famous
former residents were fi ctionalized in the
season’s storylines. Lobster Boy, for example,
was the inspiration for the character of
Jimmy Darling. Set during the 1950s, the
show was set in an era when freak shows
were on the decline.
Gibsonton was also the setting for a
famous “X-fi les” episode called “Humbug,”
featuring the story of a serial killer who
preyed upon a community of sideshow
performers. While not shot in Gibsonton, but
in Vancouver, “Humbug” dealt with some
serious themes with the usual science fi ction
but had comedic elements.
Newcomers to Sarasota might not be
familiar with the circus background of the
beautiful beach town. Fortunately, there are
many fascinating tours to take advantage of
in order to learn more about the rich history.
May/June • 2021 • GASPARILLA MAGAZINE 69