911: Connie Boyd - Magical Woman

While recently attending the Magic Collectors Expo in Las Vegas, we sat down with Connie Boyd to talk about her career as a successful magician on the Las Vegas Strip. But since semi-retiring from stage performing life, Connie has been the biggest advocate of spotlighting magical women both from our rich heritage as well as current and up and comers. During COVID she developed a YouTube channel that features performance reels of over 100 women that she has researched from our annals of history plus many whom she personally knows today.

Today Connie consults on magic acts with some magical women. She is a caring, giving, knowledgeable magician who is willing to pass on the skills and talents she has learned through the “school of had knocks” in life. She was trained for the ballet and performed with the circus until she fell during one of her aerialist performances in Houston, Texas. She tells us how she pivoted from dance to magic and made it a successful career.

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400: David Berglas - International Man of Mystery, Part One

David Berglas has an affect on me.

Okay, that is corny. But it is true that he has influenced and inspired more magicians and mentalists in the world than can be counted. Not only has he changed how we look at magic, David Berglas has significantly changed magic on television.

The BBC called him the “Godfather of TV Magic”. Born in 1926, Berglas escaped to Britain from Nazi Germany at age 11. He first became interested in Magic in his 20’s and studied psychotherapy at university before becoming a professional magician in 1952. His groundbreaking TV show in 1986, “The Mind of David Berglas” paved the way for all others to follow up to this very day. He is the author of several books including, "The Berglas Effects" and "The Mind & Magic of David Berglas", among others. And he is an multiple award winner of several prestigious organizations and is the Past President of The Magic Circle.

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I was part of a momentous meeting organized by Spyros Melaris in 2002 when he arranged a dinner meeting with David Berglas and his wife, Ruth, with Banachek and his wife, Heidi, and me and my wife, Kathy. It was a wonderful, memorable dinner with Banachek sharing his spoon bending to David and magic talk late into the evening. Unfortunately, to my knowledge, no photos of that evening exist except those in our minds.

It was at that first meeting that we all became good friends and I am glad that we could get together again for this podcast where David talks about his beginnings in magic, work both in front of and behind the cameras on television and film, plus lots of stories about celebrated names of magicians, most of whom are long since passed.

Magicians' Valhalla

Although the list below is not exhaustive nor in any particular order, it does reflect the names of many well-known (and some lesser known) magicians, spouses and assistants who passed on in 2017. 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. David Oliver put together a video of some names and dates of passing of these (and others) in a YouTube video. Click Here to see that video.

Phil Messina

Daryl Easton (Martinez)

Bob Cassidy

Jim Zachary

Ed Thomas

Jessica “Shedini” Moore

George Kovari, Jr.

"Chuck" Kirchner

John Moehring

Eugene Burger

Tom Jones

Eddie Gibson

"Fast" Eddie Silverman

Kenneth Silverman

Paul Diamond

Peter Diamond

Steve Baker

Kevin King

Celeste Evans

Tim Glancey

Ian Ogilvy

Trevor Dawson

James Hamilton

Mike O’Dowd

Bill McIlhany

Michael Giles

Harold Greenbaum

Philip Morris

Ray Goulet

Lee Delano

Fantasio (Ricardo Roucau).

Deanna Shimada

Heidi Larsen

Johnny Fox

Happy New Year! I've got mine. Have you ordered yours yet? Click on the graphic above to visit Amazon.com and purchase your 2018 calendar while helping supprt The Magic Word Podcast. Or you can Click Here.to visit the Amazon.com site for more inform… — Happy New Year! I've got mine. Have you ordered yours yet? Click on the graphic above to visit Amazon.com and purchase your 2018 calendar while helping supprt The Magic Word Podcast. Or you can Click Here.to visit the Amazon.com site for more information. Thank you and Happy Holidays!

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.

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.