DIRK SHADD | Times
Jeff Signorini (right) laughs while holding up the monster feet along with his niece Alyssa Premru in front of the garage at Signorini's house at 2016 Oakadia Drive in Clearwater. Premru, 24, is the granddaughter of Tony Signorini, Jeff's father. When Jeff Signorini's father died last year, he left Jeff a legacy like no other. Jeff would literally have a hard time following in father's footsteps. The reason dates back to 1948, when Clearwater erupted in pandemonium over reports that a monster was marauding along the beaches, leaving strange three-toed footprints and knocking over a lifeguard stand. The mysterious prints showed up all over the place, even as far north as the Suwannee River, and an expert zooloigst from New York flew down and spent two weeks investigating. His ultimate conclusion: The tracks were no hoax. They were most likely made by a 15-foot tall penguin. Yes, a penguin. Forty years later, Tony Signorini 'fessed up -- he and a buddy named Al Williams had created the tracks using a pair of cast-iron feet they'd created, strapped to some old sneakers. The news of the hoax made big headlines all over again. When Tony died, his son inherited the "monster" feet. The historical society wants them, but for now he plans to hang onto them as a remembrance of his dad.