Prior to World War II, he joined the Polish navy and earned the rank of lieutenant.
According to a story in the 1983 issue of Ohio Magazine, Radwan said that he attempted to escape from the camp by pushing over a brick wall with his bare hands.
When a guard pushed a revolver in his face, Radwan claimed that he "grabbed the gun between my teeth and squeezed the barrel shut."
He traveled as a wrestler and strongman performing feats such as straightening horseshoes, pulling cars with his teeth, bending quarters, and reclining on a bed of nails while volunteers stones on his chest.
Radwan lived in Cleveland, Ohio, where he was a member of several Polish fraternal organizations and clubs.