Tony and I first met during a rehearsal of some musical variety
show at our high school; we both attended Francis Lewis High School in Bayside, Queens,
NY. Tony was just getting into things like the sponge balls, and he was looking for
another magician to hang out with and to learn techniques from.
We hung out over the next few years. Tony was and continues to be a
remarkable student: he learns very quickly, he practices like crazy, he is very creative,
he builds new skills rapidly, and he has more heart than most performers I know.
He got bit by the performing bug seriously while we were in school.
He took what little he learned from me and developed a street mime act which he performed
in front of the Central Park Zoo. Over a two-day weekend, he'd make a few hundred bucks.
I was amazed that Tony was making such great tax-free money while I
was attending college and squeezing a few bucks out of two part-time jobs each week. So I
decided to show my student how good his teacher could be, and I asked if I could work his
spot some time with some musician friends of mine. After a grueling, hot day of dozens of
performances, my friends and I split $20.00. I was doing better working two part-time
jobs. The park was for those who truly had street talent and knew how to milk a crowd.
But Tony kept it up and then started to diversify into circus arts
and puppetry. He went to Ringling Brothers Clown College, rented out a studio in Long
Island to further develop his puppetry and carpentry and sewing skills, he bought out the
production rights to several lines of magic, and then he disappeared.
A few years ago, I had heard Tony had moved to Vegas and was
working regularly at The Excalibur casino. So when I had the opportunity to visit Vegas in
December 1999 on business, I made a point of contacting him. We hooked up, and he showed
me all around the Paris casino he was working at the time. We caught up on old and new
times. Almost 20 years had passed since last we'd met. Amazing. It seemed like only
yesterday.
Tony continues to work multiple casinos at a feverish pace. He is
now a career Vegas performer, and Vegas is lucky to have him.
