691: Rocco - A D'Lite-ful Magician

Conceived in Italy and named after a Saint, Rocco is a winner of several awards including the Golden Lion Award from Siegfried and Roy, among others that launched his international career. Performing from China to Guam and Paris to Monaco, his silent act has kept him in constant demand at all of the top nightclubs and casinos in the world. He was also the creator of the D’Lite which has sold six million across the globe. Rocco is also the “master of the sleeve” who has made a career of shooting items up and down in and out of his sleeve making for “enlightenment in the mind.”

In this week’s episode, Rocco shares stories about how he started in magic and the story of how D’Lites were created and stolen. He also chats about some of his highlights so far in his life from his many experiences of performing from the Crazy Horse in Paris to winning the Golden Lion from Siegfried and Roy. He also talks about his inspiration from Bill Wisch and Slydini that made him the magician he is today.

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647: John Cox - All Houdini Episode

Because we are in the middle of “National Magic Week” and nearing the 95th anniversary of Houdini’s death on October 31st, it seems only fitting and natural that we should revisit with noted Houdini scholar and blogger, John Cox. He was featured on an episode here in 2017, but much has happened since then, not the least of which has been his visit to the Houdini home at 278 West 113th Street in Harlem, New York. This recounting of his visit is just a small part of what makes this episode special with John talking about collecting, correcting mis-information, and more.

Watch this week’s chat on YouTube to see some of the things we talked about. And while you are there, please Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Thanks!

John Cox was one of the speakers and “hands around the table” at the “Official Houdini Seance” in Ft. Worth, Texas in 2012. This was our first meeting and introduced me to the fascinating mind of John Cox and the world of Houdini. He is often asked how there could still be so much information revealed that would make for a daily reporting (or blogging) about the legendary entertainer. The answer is that things just come to light if you search deep enough.

The next best thing to an actual visit to David Copperfield's museum. Order yours here and help support The Magic Word Podcast with your purchase.

For more information and/or to register for the NEMCA Virtual Convention on Saturday, November 6, 2021, please visit: https://NEMCA.com

537: Late Bloomers - Finding Magic Later in Life

A listener who became interested in magic later in life suggested that I consider chatting with others who may have a similar story. I thought that would be an interesting topic and perhaps even inspirational to others who might feel that it's too late to "teach an old dog new tricks." Well, this week we feature chats with a dozen listeners who responded and have interesting stories to tell.

Time stamps for this podcast:

00:01:43 - Nick Creature

00:12:20 - Angelo Fiorentino

00:17:40 - Bill Wisch

00:28:00 - Charles Cisneros

00:33:26 - Clint Smith

00:37:55 - Daniel Will

00:43:28 - Ian Scheller

00:49:25 - Ridgely Hunt

00:57:07 - Ryan Johnson

01:05:05 - Sean Doolan

01:09:42 - Shawn Mulliins

01:13:02 - Tom Yates

Magicians' Valhalla

Although the list below is not exhaustive, it does reflect the names of many well-known (and some lesser known) magicians, spouses and assistants who passed on in 2019. Some may not be as well-known to you, but they were my personal friends (hey, it is my blog!). If you are unfamiliar with any of these names, then it would behoove you to do a little online search of what these people have contributed to our craft. If you have someone you think was overlooked, then please post the name in the comments below on this blog.

Those whose names are highlighted were featured or interviewed here on The Magic Word Podcast. You can click on their name to revisit and listen to their voices again.

Denny Haney

Gary Darwin

Sonny Fontana

Don Billings

Marshall Brodien

Steve Dusheck

Anthony Brahams

Johnny “The Great Tomsoni” Thompson

Anthony Owen

John Cornelius

Tom Blacke

Piet Forton