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The Magic Word The Magic Word

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352: Geno Munari and Houdini in Las Vegas

Geno Munari, owner and proprietor of Houdini's Magic shop, is a successful entrepreneur who has permeated so many corners of our art that many may not know his full reach. From publishing to creating to manufacturing to marketing to radio to...well, the list goes on and on.

Geno is a rather reclusive individual preferring his anonymity and staying out of the spotlight (in fact, he preferred that I not take a photo of him), but this week we explore the life of this fascinating man and his development into one of the "lesser known" titans of our industry. Before our chat, Geno took me on a tour of his headquarters but I was not allowed to record a video of the interior. But suffice it to say that this is quite an impressive operation complete with a workshop, warehouse, several printing presses, offices, and even a full-functioning, 24/7 radio studio, KIYQ which broadcasts not only to the downtown Las Vegas area, but also online (where you can listen by Clicking Here), and of course, a complete brick-and-mortar magic shop.

With this podcast, I hope to shine a light on Geno and one Houdini's so that you have a fuller appreciation of the magnitude and scope of his acumen and business.

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View fullsize Geno Munari with his friend, Sid Radner
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Geno talks about his good friend, Jimmy Grippo, and the documentary he is working on and the book he published, "The Magic of Jimmy Grippo" which covers many of the routines Jimmy wanted to teach while protecting his "pet" effects. I found it interesting that Union Boss, Jimmy Hoffa, was so impressed with the magic of Jimmy Grippo that he planned to build a casino for him to work. He talked about the history of his work in gaming and what lead to the development of Houdini's.

He has strong beliefs about brick-and-mortar magic shops and why he is still in business. He also talked about how he came to use and trademark "Houdini's" and his relationship with Sid Radner.. Towards the end of this podcast, Geno talks about a new movie that revives the Kennedy assassination conspiracy theory. Very interesting revelations and updates.

Download this podcast in an MP3 file by Clicking Here and then right click to save the file. You can also subscribe to the RSS feed by Clicking Here. You can download or listen to the podcast through Stitcher by Clicking Here or through FeedPress by Clicking Here or through Tunein.com by Clicking Here. Remember, you can download it through the iTunes store, too. See the preview page by Clicking Here

Click the banner above to visit Houdini's Magic Shop online!

Click the banner above to visit Houdini's Magic Shop online!

Tagged with Geno Munari, Houdini's Magic, Jimmy Grippo, Daniel Cros, Jimmy Hoffa, Las Vegas, Houdini, Sid Radner, John F. Kennedy, Kennedy assasination, Jack Ruby.

April 13, 2017 by Scott Wells.
  • April 13, 2017
  • Scott Wells
  • Geno Munari
  • Houdini's Magic
  • Jimmy Grippo
  • Daniel Cros
  • Jimmy Hoffa
  • Las Vegas
  • Houdini
  • Sid Radner
  • John F. Kennedy
  • Kennedy assasination
  • Jack Ruby
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#200 - How The Grinch Stole Christmas

Last year we brought you "The Night Before Christmas" read by a handful of popular magicians. It was so well received that I asked a few more guys (and gals) to read "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas". See if you can pick out the voices of: Boris Wild, Bob Cassidy, Docc Hilford, Tim Ellis, Tim Trono, George Tait, Rocco Silano, Eric DeCamps, Mandy Farrell, Ice McDonald, Steven Bargatze, Marc Salem, Rick Merrill, Richard Osterlind and, as the Grinch, Eugene Burger.

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View fullsize George Tait.jpg
View fullsize Ice McDonald.jpg
View fullsize Mandy Farrell.jpeg
View fullsize Marc Salem.jpg
View fullsize Richard Osterlind.jpg
View fullsize Rick Merrill.jpg
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View fullsize Steve Bargatze.jpg
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As I attended several magic conventions over this past year, I took aside a few guys and gals to chat on the podcast. But many of the people graciously agreed to record something special just for this very special podcast. I hope you enjoy hearing their reading of this Doctor Seuss classic. This was one of the most difficult podcasts to edit and took the longest time to gather all the voices to do this one which ended up being one of the shortest ones, too.

This special podcast is my Christmas gift to you for listening for these past few years to the previous 199 podcasts. I wish all the best to you and yours for this holiday season.

Download this podcast in an MP3 file by Clicking Here and then right click to save the file. You can also subscribe to the RSS feed by Clicking Here. (please note: this RSS Feed subscription system may not work with Android systems). Remember, you can download it through iTunes. See the preview page by Clicking Here.

Click on the banner above to buy Lotto Fever 2.0 through my PayPal Shop for $29.95 plus shipping ($5.00 below current price and before the retail price goes to $39.95) Be sure to click on the correct shipping (Domestic or Foreign). Also available th…

Click on the banner above to buy Lotto Fever 2.0 through my PayPal Shop for $29.95 plus shipping ($5.00 below current price and before the retail price goes to $39.95) Be sure to click on the correct shipping (Domestic or Foreign). Also available through the "Shop By Credit Card" storefront, too, if you prefer not to use PayPal. Offer ends on October 18, 2014.

Fill your Christmas Stockings with all things Banachek! Click on the banner above to visit the website and start your year off bright!

Fill your Christmas Stockings with all things Banachek! Click on the banner above to visit the website and start your year off bright!

Magic & Martinis Thursday...with the Grinch!

Tagged with Boris Wild, Docc Hilford, Eric Decamps, Bob Cassidy, Eugene Burger, George Tait, Ice McDonald, Mandy Farrell, Marc Salem, Richard Osterlind, Rick Merrill, Rocco, Stephen Bargatze, Tim Ellis, Tim Trono.

December 4, 2014 by Scott Wells.
  • December 4, 2014
  • Scott Wells
  • Boris Wild
  • Docc Hilford
  • Eric Decamps
  • Bob Cassidy
  • Eugene Burger
  • George Tait
  • Ice McDonald
  • Mandy Farrell
  • Marc Salem
  • Richard Osterlind
  • Rick Merrill
  • Rocco
  • Stephen Bargatze
  • Tim Ellis
  • Tim Trono
  • Post a comment
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"Now You See It With Scott Wells" - East Coast Mind Jam 2014

During the last day of the East Coast Mind Jam, Marc Salem was running a little late on his trip from the U.K. So, in order to give the registrants some additional content and more for their money, Eric Citron, the organizer, slated "Now You See It With Scott Wells".

This TV Talk Show format has been seen at many other conventions around the U.S. and features informal chats with talent booked at the convention. Typically the show includes magic-related/themed television commercials; however, due to the last minute nature of the schedule, the commercials were not shown during this event.

John Sergott recorded the show on his video camera up until his battery died. So, the video here has been edited to include his video with commercials inserted in post-production. Also, Dave Rasmussen took nearly 150 photos during the show which were added at the end of this video to accompany the audio portion of the part that was lost on video.

Magic & Martinis' Thursday

Now You See It ECMJ 2014.jpg

Tagged with Patrick Redford, Joe Atmore, East Coast Mind Jam, Ted Karmilovich, Richard Osterlind, Bill Gladwell, George Tait, John Sergott, Dave Rasmussen.

April 3, 2014 by Scott Wells.
  • April 3, 2014
  • Scott Wells
  • Patrick Redford
  • Joe Atmore
  • East Coast Mind Jam
  • Ted Karmilovich
  • Richard Osterlind
  • Bill Gladwell
  • George Tait
  • John Sergott
  • Dave Rasmussen
  • Post a comment
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The Magic Word The Magic Word

A Podcast for Magicians, About Magicians, Hosted by a Full Time Professional Magician, Scott Wells

This podcast is totally free for everyone to enjoy. This is provided to you out of love and respect for our art of magic. If you enjoy the podcasts and other material on The Magic Word, then your financial support will be greatly appreciated and help offset the monthly hosting service fee as well as the hardware and software to produce this podcast. Just click on the "Donate " button at the top of this page to make a one time donation through PayPal.

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In May 2024, Scott Wells had the distinguished honor of receiving a “Special Fellowship” from the Academy of Magical Arts (The Magic Castle) for the Magic Word Podcast which promotes “not only personal stories of fascinating individuals, but also fellowship amongst our extended family of artists and entertainers everywhere.”

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Travel Breather in the Eye of the Storm - We are between two (actually three) major events: FISM, Abbott's Get Together and MAGIC Live! Last week was a full week of FISM reports. Next week we travel to Colon, Michigan for Abbott's Get Together then i
Another beautiful day in Umbria visiting #Assissi and #Perugia #Italy
More time near the Tuscan sun. But this time we traveled south to Umbria where we visited #Bevagna #Montefalco and #Spello
More time under the beautiful Tuscan sun with a visit to Montalcino and Montepulciano for wine tasting and exploring. Now staying in a monestary. #italy
Travel Breather in the Eye of the Storm - We are between two (actually three) major events: FISM, Abbott's Get Together and MAGIC Live! Last week was a full week of FISM reports. Next week we travel to Colon, Michigan for Abbott's Get Together then i
Another delightful day under the Tuscan sun in Siena and other cities I can't spell, but enjoying the sun, the food, the wine, and the culture. And the Gelato is amazing. #gelato #siena #italy
A tour of the Chianti Classico region. Two wineries and a sunset Tuscan dinner followed by, of course, gellato. #chianti
From Turin to Parma where we tried the music,  cheese, prosciutto,  wine, and Gelato. #parma
Under the Tuscan sun with truffle hunting, a cooking class, and wine. #tuscany

The Magic Word Has been recognized by FeedSpot as the # 1 magician podcast in the world. Thank you all for your support and for listening throughout the years.

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