Hank Lee

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El Harvey Oswald
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Re: Hank Lee

Postby El Harvey Oswald » September 11th, 2012, 1:39 pm

You might turn out to be right on that score. I'm assuming he's rational, and recognizes that if he does return to the business it will be under scrutiny that would make it impossible to falsely charge even a thumb tip. But perhaps you have picked up on a tendency toward denial that I've not sufficiently credited. Also, I apologize for appearing to characterize your motives in attempting to make a broader statement about these kinds of exchanges. Again, there's every chance your assessment will prove more accurate than mine. We will see. No doubt I'm rooting for redemption and a happy outcome for the first magic dealer I regularly encountered as a kid, despite him talking me (I.e., my parents) into buying the execrable Giant and Dwarf, $55 in 1977 dollars for two or three fumbling, unbaffling performances. I'm still waiting for him to take the blame for that.

Tom Dobrowolski
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Re: Hank Lee

Postby Tom Dobrowolski » September 11th, 2012, 4:28 pm

Plenty of good, fair and honest magic dealers out there struggling these days to stay in business. I would encourage folks to patronize those dealers. THEY should be rewarded for doing the right thing.

mehtas
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Re: Hank Lee

Postby mehtas » September 11th, 2012, 9:10 pm

The story has started to appear in the national newspapers rather than local ones only.

Tom Gilbert
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Re: Hank Lee

Postby Tom Gilbert » September 12th, 2012, 12:17 am

I'm somewhat in awe that Hank thinks the business will make it. I understand Aron is taking it over, but who now, are the elves?

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Bob Cunningham
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Re: Hank Lee

Postby Bob Cunningham » September 12th, 2012, 3:24 pm

Tom Gilbert wrote:... but who now, are the elves?


The Don he mentioned is Don Konick. I knew Don maybe 25 years ago. He was a nice guy and very ethical. I don't know who Steve is.

David Kaplan
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Re: Hank Lee

Postby David Kaplan » September 12th, 2012, 10:13 pm

Steve Kradolfer: 100% ethical, smart and funny. Knowledgeable and accomplished magician. Regular performer at the Mystery Lounge in Harvard Square.

Tom Gilbert
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Re: Hank Lee

Postby Tom Gilbert » September 13th, 2012, 12:23 am

Steve's a really nice guy, but I had heard that he left.

R.E.Byrnes
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Re: Hank Lee

Postby R.E.Byrnes » September 13th, 2012, 1:43 pm

"Plenty of good, fair and honest magic dealers out there struggling these days to stay in business. I would encourage folks to patronize those dealers. THEY should be rewarded for doing the right thing."

pretty hard to argue with that. as between supporting hank lee's "comeback" and supporting a dealer trying to do business honestly, it's difficult to justify buying something from hank lee that could be bought almost anywhere else.

on my way to the magic apple to seek out some of the cool, cheap items that david regal featured in another superb david regal presentation.

R.E.Byrnes
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Re: Hank Lee

Postby R.E.Byrnes » September 13th, 2012, 6:26 pm

Here's an amazing coincidence/circumstance that functions as a small parable of magic-dealer honesty. I did in fact head to the Magic Apple earlier today to look for some of the forgotten/ignored items David Regal identified -- "That's a good trick!" -- and made a few purchases, in the course of which I discovered that I had either lost or had stolen a lot of cash. As I was walking away from the store contemplating this not-remotely-painless loss, Brent, the Magic Apple owner, called for me and held out something. I actually asked what it was; I truly didn't know, having trained on what I thought were the plausible sources of the loss, conditioned by a recent encounter with venality. Of course he had found and was returning the money I had dropped. It had fallen out somewhere in the store, a seemingly obvious possibility that, for weird reasons, I didn't consider. He could have kept the money with impunity. I was plainly gone. What was more extraordinary than the fact that he returned it was that there was every indication in his comportment that he hadn't so much as considered not doing so, not even for a fraction of a second. Can't say I wouldn't have had at least an involuntary flash of assessing the pros and cons of keeping it.

Magic Bob
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Re: Hank Lee

Postby Magic Bob » September 13th, 2012, 10:55 pm


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sincityjesse
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Re: Hank Lee

Postby sincityjesse » September 14th, 2012, 2:31 am

I doubt he will serve his full sentence in "Club Fed". Unless he really screws up while incarcerated he will get out early (in about 18 months or so). I'm glad the judge ordered him to pay full restitution to RG.

R.E.Byrnes
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Re: Hank Lee

Postby R.E.Byrnes » September 14th, 2012, 2:12 pm

The "Club Fed" trope is more myth than reality. While the lower-security prisons in the federal system tend to have less of the danger and inane internal politics of -- at the far other end of the spectrum -- maximum-security state prisons, it's still a long way from going to Canyon Ranch and just not being able to leave. And life is often far less good after getting out, too.

In that some people with similar convictions can come away with no prison time at all, the sentence here seems appropriate, all things considered. Obviously some people are really, really, really opposed to crime, and will revel in multiple chances to convey that.

Brad Henderson
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Re: Hank Lee

Postby Brad Henderson » September 14th, 2012, 3:22 pm

I take it then, R.E.,, you yourself are not opposed to crime?

Please send me your home address and be sure to keep the front door unlocked.

Thanks in advance,

Hank, jr.

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: Hank Lee

Postby Richard Kaufman » September 14th, 2012, 4:14 pm

Oh, crap, Brad ... why do you have to jump to ridiculous conclusions like that?
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Brad Henderson
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Re: Hank Lee

Postby Brad Henderson » September 14th, 2012, 5:05 pm

Long answer: When re wrote: "Obviously some people are really, really, really opposed to crime, and will revel in multiple chances to convey that." one can only assume, as he has not conveyed neither opposition repeatedly nor revelry, that he is not one of those 'some people."

Short answer: What he wrote was stupid. I was merely calling attention to it.

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: Hank Lee

Postby Richard Kaufman » September 14th, 2012, 5:07 pm

If you don't care for it, then give a well-reasoned response. That will get you farther than a snarky remark or just calling it stupid.
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Brad Henderson
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Re: Hank Lee

Postby Brad Henderson » September 14th, 2012, 6:08 pm

Read his sentence. It speaks for itself.

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erdnasephile
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Re: Hank Lee

Postby erdnasephile » September 14th, 2012, 7:21 pm

sincityjesse wrote:I doubt he will serve his full sentence in "Club Fed". Unless he really screws up while incarcerated he will get out early (in about 18 months or so). I'm glad the judge ordered him to pay full restitution to RG.


Just curious: if someone declares bankruptcy, are they protected against having to pay restitution? If so, how does the wronged party get their money back?

Oddly Bent
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Re: Hank Lee

Postby Oddly Bent » September 14th, 2012, 9:36 pm

This is fun. I have not heard the word "comportment" since grade school. Maybe it was deportment...

Oddly Bent
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Re: Hank Lee

Postby Oddly Bent » September 14th, 2012, 9:39 pm

Maybe it was daddy saying we were going to be deported...

the Larry
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Re: Hank Lee

Postby the Larry » September 14th, 2012, 10:00 pm

Do I understand this correctly that Hank Lee, besides having to return what he stole, only has to pay a $6000 fine and sits in jail for a couple of months? If that is the case then I am not surprised that so many try this kind of theft. The downside isn't that big for potentially walking away with more than half a million. But what really bugs me about this is that from all the stories I have heard about Hank Lee, he must have stolen much more than the $560k in small amounts from hundreds of other customers. One does not start stealing that much money cold turkey. Where is the restitution for all those other customers?

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Joe Pecore
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Re: Hank Lee

Postby Joe Pecore » September 14th, 2012, 10:01 pm

erdnasephile wrote:
Just curious: if someone declares bankruptcy, are they protected against having to pay restitution? If so, how does the wronged party get their money back?

I believe creditors get paid either through liquidation of assets or by payment plans over time (depending on the type of bankruptcy declared). http://www.uscourts.gov/FederalCourts/Bankruptcy.aspx
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sincityjesse
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Re: Hank Lee

Postby sincityjesse » September 15th, 2012, 12:45 am

"The "Club Fed" trope is more myth than reality".

Here is the link to the Admission and Orientation Handbook for Fort Dix FCI:

http://www.bop.gov/locations/institutio ... ndbook.pdf

I find pages 32-35 noteworthy. I'm glad that Mr. Lee can learn to play the piano and guitar while there. I just hope these classes don't conflict with the weekend brunch.

And yes, I am "...really, really, really opposed to crime,..."

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Bob Cunningham
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Re: Hank Lee

Postby Bob Cunningham » September 15th, 2012, 3:35 am

Joe Pecore wrote:
erdnasephile wrote:
Just curious: if someone declares bankruptcy, are they protected against having to pay restitution? If so, how does the wronged party get their money back?

I believe creditors get paid either through liquidation of assets or by payment plans over time (depending on the type of bankruptcy declared). http://www.uscourts.gov/FederalCourts/Bankruptcy.aspx


IANAL, but the relevant case seems to indicate that while MOST debt can be discharge (dissmised) under chapter 7 bankruptcy, court ordered restitution normally can not be.

http://www.nysb.uscourts.gov/opinions/c ... pinion.pdf

"The Supreme Courts holding in Kelly reversed the Second Circuits ruling that the restitution award was dischargeable because [t]he amount of restitution . . . was precisely $9,932.95, and was designed to be, among other things, compensation for . . . actual pecuniary loss.

Under Kelly, a restitution order that directs payments to an entity other than a governmental unit is non-dischargeable under Section 523(a)(7) so long as the restitution is designed to benefit society as a whole, and furthers the penal goals of the State and the situation of the defendant."

Bill Mullins
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Re: Hank Lee

Postby Bill Mullins » October 19th, 2013, 6:00 pm

Richard Kaufman wrote:It's actually "censored dentata," which is the archetypal image of the toothed censored. Read your Joseph Campbell. :)


And there's a cake!

Link

Richard Hatch
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Re: Hank Lee

Postby Richard Hatch » October 19th, 2013, 6:40 pm

Bill Mullins wrote:
Richard Kaufman wrote:It's actually "censored dentata," which is the archetypal image of the toothed censored. Read your Joseph Campbell. :)


And there's a cake!

Link

Could that be a sponge cake?


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