Tony Giorgio Has Died

[Richard Kaufman]

I just received a call from Tony's wife, Kaye, who informed me that Tony died early this morning at the age of 88. He had been in the hospital for the past 8 months.

I liked Tony a lot--he was a good friend and will be missed.

[BrianB2]

RIP Mr. Giorgio.

[Riley G Matthews]

RIP Tony...

[erdnasephile]

That's really sad--his card in matchbox was brilliant and I really enjoyed his column.

My condolences to his friends and family.

[Dustin Stinett]

Very sorry to hear this. He was one of a kind. My condolences to Kaye, his family, and friends.

Dustin

[Steve Bryant]

Sorry to hear. I wish there were video of his Closeup Gallery act from the 60s and early 70s. He was one of the greats.

[AJM]

Sad news indeed

[Mike P]

Sorry to hear that .....RIP Tony...time to play in the big game now.

[Q. Kumber]

I always enjoyed his GENII columns, his forthright views and his sharing of thoughts, ideas and routines.

[johnmali]

I just exchanged few emails with his wife few days ago and she said he is very ill...very sad news. RIP Mr.Giorgio

[Tom Gilbert]

RIP Tony.

[Leonard Hevia]

His Giorgio Letters and theories about the depiction of magic in paintings were enlightening.

RIP Tony.

[Don Hendrix]

The first time I walked into the Magic Castle, in 1970, the first magician I saw was Tony, standing in front of the bar, doing the card to wallet for a small group. I thought that it was the greatest thing that I had ever seen. I had no idea who he was, but I knew that he must be one of the best. In the years since, that first impression grew increasingly stronger. That night I saw the Professor for the first time. I witnessed Johnny Platt doing the cups and balls, and had my socks knocked off by Kuda Bux downstairs, still the closest thing to real magic I have ever seen. But the memory that stands out the most for me, and always will, is seeing Tony very slowly reach into his beautifully tailored suit and remove his wallet, which contained the signed card. What an introduction to the Magic Castle!
RIP Tony. You earned it.

[Jim Patton]

...Only equalled by his impressive "Card From Fly"..... a show stopper he only performed impromptu.......
RIP, big guy... The mold has long since been broken.....there can never be another like you.......
JP

[Eric Wolf]

About 16 or so years ago when I was heading to LA on a trip, my friend Deane Stern told me I had to call a man named Tony Giorgio while I was in town. I didn't know who Tony was and being a bit of an introvert, I almost didn't make the call. Well, long story short, I made the call. Tony graciously took me into his home and I was blown away by what he could do with a deck of cards. After that, a visit with Tony became a mandatory stop if I was going to the west coast. Tony was an incredibly gifted man, a good friend, and he will be missed. My thoughts are with Kaye.

[jjsanvert]

Very sad news. I immensely enjoyed his work in the first "Mission Impossible" tv series. His cameo appearances in movies were always very exciting for me, and I learned a lot reading his writings in Genii. He was obviously a true expert.

[F.Amílcar]

Our most sincere condolences to his wife and family.

F. Amlcar Riega i Bello.
SECRETARY OF NATIONAL COUNCIL S.E.I.

SPAIN.

[Jamy Ian Swiss]

Tony Giorgio was a treasure. A one-of-a-kind, bona fide, indelible, inimitable, larger than life character. Intelligent, articulate, well read, a lifetime of experiences that would seem like fiction to most. He was great company, great to be around, great to spend late nights with at Cantor's Deli (where he'd speak Yiddish to the waiters!), great to listen to, great to get a phone call from, and possibly -- just possibly -- greatest of all this was to watch him perform. His Monte routine was unparalleled, and that's just one original item out of a deep repertoire. People at the Castle were lucky he was there when he was, and wise were those who knew to take advantage of his presence. I will never forget the man, and I will miss him.

[Dustin Stinett]

I wish I had a buck for every time Mr. Giorgio said that my thoughts or opinions were fatally flawed! One of the great days in my life was being present in the room when Richard Kaufman interviewed him for his big Genii issue. Richard can attest to the fact that he held nothing back while talking, though much was officially kept off the record (so add a buck for each time he told Richard to shut off the recorder!). He had an amazing life and he recalled many details.

When Richard started taking photos for the piece, I was the stand in (make that sit in) for whom Mr. Giorgio was speaking with/performing for. Richard did not have to coach him at all. He would get to a point where he wanted to be and pose perfectly still for the shot and he looked absolutely natural; not posed at all. The man was remarkable on so many levels.

It was a great day for me and I will always treasure it.

Dustin

[Bill Mullins]

The only online obituary I could find:

LA Times

[Richard Kaufman]

One of the movies on which Tony worked, and which he was quite proud of, is "Harry in Your Pocket." A stupid title for a fun film with James Coburn and Walter Pidgeon. He created all the pickpocketing sequences as well as having a cameo.

I bring it up because Warner Archive has just added MGM's burn-on-demand line to their own, and you can order "Harry in Your Pocket" here:
http://www.wbshop.com/on/demandware.sto ... rc=EWSONY1

[Joe Pecore]

It's also available on Netflix streaming http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Harry ... t/70092581. I loved that movie when it first came out.

[Dan Smith]

And Amazon has it as a $2.99 rental.

[Ypsilanti]

So very sorry to hear of Tony's passing.
He was always a gentleman to work with in our studio.
My wife and I were so fortunate,following a session, Tony inquired if we had a deck of cards. We escorted him to our game room, where he was pleased to see we had a full poker table set up.
Well, he sat down, rubbed a little finger grip on, and proceeded to give us the most amazing private slight of hands card demonstration. Better that any huge magic trick, this was right in front of our eyes. Absolutely stunning. We will miss you Tony, and thank you for your kindness. Steve & Ann.