A theory that the so-called 'piano man' is a French street musician has neither been proven nor discounted, and is one of 300 identities that are being investigated, his social worker said today.
A 33-year-old Polish illegal immigrant approached police in Rome, Italy, yesterday, after spotting the mystery man's photograph in a newspaper, and claimed he knew him.
The mystery man found in Kent, England, on Monday
He said he was "sure" the pianist, who has not spoken since he was found wandering aimlessly near the beach in Minster on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent, was Steven Villa Masson, with whom he worked in the French resort of Nice.
Social worker Michael Camp, who has been looking after the man since he was found on April 7th wearing a dripping wet suit and tie, said today: "I'm concerned that we don't just stop at the step of this particular person.
"He might be him but at the same time he might not be. There're 300 plus other names that we have got."
A West Kent NHS Trust spokesman said: "We have had calls and emails from people from Australia, Canada, Sweden, Holland and that one from [Italy about] France.
"They are just suggestions and they will now be looked at and until we do we can't rule any of them in or out."
Polish mime artist Dariusz Dydymski, who lived with a "piano genius" named Mr Masson in Nice for about a month, said: "I could be wrong but I am 99 per cent certain the man in England is the man I knew as Steven Villa Masson.
"The face and the stature are the same but above all it is the hands that have convinced me.
"There is one difference though to when I knew him: he had brown hair but now it is blonde."