Meir’s Muses
MyMagic eNewsletter #900
January 30, 2021
I attended and had a booth at the 1985 SAM Convention in Boston (not sure if I was also performing that year). At some point Herb Zarrow told me that he and Ron Wohl were going to visit and have lunch with Walter Scott, (The Phantom Of The Card Table), and invited me to join them. I explained that I had a booth and had to stay in the exhibit room. He said that I should really come. But I didn’t. I should have. I only made around $20 in sales that afternoon! Here is a photo of Herb Zarrow and Walter Scott from that day.
I recently received some copies of the new edition of the Phantom book and as I was skimming through, it triggered some memories. I remember one time sitting in Tony Spina’s office and on his desk, he had some photographs that caught my eye, he explained that they were close-ups of Cardini doing some false deals. Now I know that these are related to the Phantom book.
I also once bought an oversized manuscript of the Phantom book that I assumed was just an earlier version of the book before the Gambler’s Book Club edition. It turns out that the two were not identical.
I was also in NYC when Gazzo, Walter Scott’s student came to town and was doing stuff that Walter taught him. He was completely fooling everyone who was not familiar with the work involved. Especially the magicians who did not specialize in cards, they had no idea about the use of peg work and when it was combined with edge markings it seemed to create the impossible.
►The Phantom Of The Card Table: Critical Edition:
The Phantom of the Card Table was originally a typescript that was written and circulated by Edward McGuire around 1930-1932.
The reason this little typescript was sought after was its subject, Walter Scott. In the summer of 1930, Scott and McGuire traveled to New York City and held a private exhibition of what was considered a great display of sleight of hand which seemed to fool everyone present. Scott allowed the other magicians to shuffle their own deck and give it to him and he could still deal out winning hands of cards.
A version of that manuscript was later published by the Gambler’s Book Club but until recently most people did not know that there was more information out there and original photographs from Cardini. Much of the additions to this version of the book have never been published before.
Get one: HERE
►Card Peggers:
Coincidentally, I also released Nick Diffatte’s Card Peggers last month. I still have some in stock and if you want to try the work explained in the Phantom book you will need these, or something like them.
Watch the trailer I made for the Peggers, it teaches and explains a lot about them and punches in general.
Watch & Buy: HERE
►Bill Wisch’s Close-Up Magic:
Wanted to remind you that the discounted introductory price for the new download expires on Tuesday night. You should get it before it is too late.
Volume two of this series features the magic that Bill Wisch created combining Slydini’s teachings and his own ingenuity. You will learn some close-up routines using coins, cards, matches, rings, chains, marbles, sponges, and more. Along with the routines you will also learn many original and little-known techniques that can be applied to your current repertoire.
Watch & Buy: HERE
Stay safe, Meir
PS: Next week’s download will be the final one in the Bill Wisch series and will focus on his excellent card routines.
 GIGANTIC COMEDY PREDICTIONWatch & Buy |  RATTLE PURSEWatch & Buy |
 EXPERT CARD ROUTINESWatch & Buy |  EXPERT GAMBLING ROUTINESWatch & Buy |
