Two questions that I get asked quite often is Do you believe in magic, and How did you get into magic? Do I believe in Magic? What kind of a question is that? Of course, I believe in Magic! Magic is my life! I have been a professional magician now for over 25 years.
Before became a magician, I worked as a butcher for D’Agostino’s supermarkets and little did I know that fate had a magical twist in store for me. It all began when I was sent to work in one of their stores where the deli manager happened to dabble in magic during his off-hours. He showed me a trick that I will never forget. He put a Kennedy half-dollar in my hand, which turned into an English penny while I was holding it. From that moment, I knew that magic was going to be a part of my life.
After I expressed extreme interest in what he was doing, he brought me to the magic shop. It was Flosso-Hornmanns magic shop on 34th Street. The shop was in a building, and you had to take the elevator up to it. So, you had to know where you were going to keep the secrets away from muggles. HAHAHA! This shop was actually owned by Houdini back in the day. It was one of those typical magic shops that you would only see in a movie. Very cool!
After performing tricks for friends and co-workers, I thought that it would be cool to start performing shows. Maybe make a little money on the side. Dean, one of my co-workers in the supermarket said that I was going to perform for his daughter’s birthday party, and he wasn’t taking “NO” for an answer. Being a good friend, I know that he did that to give me the push that I needed to get going with this. It was about 2 months before her party, and I remember working on that show like a madman to be ready. I remember waiting before the show of a bunch of 6-year-olds, and I was so nervous like I was going on the tonight show. HAHAHA! Everything went great, and a magic career was forged that night. From that moment on, I started booking kids birthday parties, daycare centers, elementary schools. I wasn’t a big fan of performing kids shows except for when I would perform for my daughter Christy’s classes. Those were the best!!
I remember carrying my main table/carrying case, two side tables, my music, and the box with my rabbit up 5 flights of stairs to do a show, then carry it all back down. I would do balloon animals afterwards. A one-hour show would be at least two hours after the set-up, and breakdown, plus extra balloon animals because the kids can pop them quicker than you can make them. HAHAHA!!
When I was hired for my first company event where I walked in only carrying a deck of cards, and some coins. Performed for only 1 hour and left with a check for the same amount, I started transferring my website from a kid’s magician to an adult magician as fast as I could. I was working much harder than I had to, but it was all part of the process.
At this time, I really wanted my close-up magic to be top-notch, so I got a restaurant gig. What that means is that I performed at restaurants to entertain guests at their table while they are waiting for their food. This was my way of building up my chops. When you are performing the same trick table after table after table, again and again, you can’t possibly not get good. Not only are you learning about performing, but about how to approach a table, about audience management, dealing with different personalities, dealing with mistakes, and so much more. Things that you just can’t learn practicing in the mirror.
I got to the point where I was booking so many events for higher fees, that I couldn’t do the restaurants anymore. I really enjoyed performing at the restaurants. They too were also part of the process.
At this time, I am performing the majority of my shows at corporate events. The rest are a mix of weddings, adult birthday parties, anniversary parties, bar & bat mitzvahs, and any type of event where people get together to celebrate a special moment in their lives. It’s a lot of fun, and I love what I do!
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