[3] Following the death of his father, his mother emigrated to the United States ahead of her children.

[4] After arriving in America, Griebling left home after reading an ad seeking apprentice bareback riders.

He would walk around the circus holding a slab of ice asking for Miss Jones.

In 1970 Otto had his larynx removed due to cancer, but it did not affect his silent act.

His first wife, Hanna, was a fellow circus performer;[10] they had three children together and divorced in 1948.