"The Phantom of the Card table" a new version ?

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"The Phantom of the Card table" a new version ?

Postby Guest » July 3rd, 2002, 8:54 am

I have heard through the grapevine that Gazzo Macee along with David Britland have reworked this book.

Does anyone have any information on it? Who the publisher is? Will it contain the stuff rumored to have been in the original manuscript and left out of the booklet? Will any of the real work on the punch be included? Modern ideas for making a punch etc.

I am pretty excited about this and about Gazzo's involvement. From what I understand Gazzo was Mr. Scott's only student. I have never seen Gazzo do any of the punch work from the book but, I have heard he was a master of it.

Anyway, have any of you guys heard anything?

Best,

Dan-

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Re: "The Phantom of the Card table" a new version ?

Postby Guest » July 3rd, 2002, 11:01 am

As I understand it, Gazzo is redoing "Phantom of the Card Table," quite possibly under the aegis of Whit Haydn and Chef Anton's "School for Scoundrels." As you may know, Gazzo had a stroke some years ago and doesn't yet possess the physical skills again that he did at the height of his talents. However, his mind is as sharp as ever, and he still knows how to describe a lot of the work he used to do, including punch work.

I spoke to Gazzo last fall at the Magic Castle, as well as earlier in the year at a lecture at Denny Haney's magic studio. Although he is still performing on the streets, he is putting out a number of items to give him additional income. Among other things, these are replicas of his cups, his gibeciere, a video of the moves in his C&B routine, and he contributed a fantastic chapter to Whit's seminal work on the Three-Card Monte, which is almost worth the price of the book. He is also the "lead actor" in a video demonstrating how the "real monte work" -- meaning the criminal kind specifically designed to separate people from their money -- happens on the street. It was shot near Dean Dill's salon in Glendale, if I recall correctly. Gazzo did a demo of this "act" at the lecture at Denny's, using the lecture attendees as actors in the scam, complete with lookouts, shills, the mark and Gazzo as the broad-tosser. It was a fascinating education in the real criminal world of the monte.

I don't have any definitive info or date on when Gazzo will be finished with the "Phantom" remake, but I'm sure it will be eye-opening, and if anything, purchase it to give back to a guy who a) is a fantastic performer, b) needs and deserves the money and c) made the ethical decision when he was younger to go into magic instead of continuing as part of the criminal monte life that he describes so magnificently in the monte book.

Gazzo is the MAN!

brian :cool:

Guest

Re: "The Phantom of the Card table" a new version ?

Postby Guest » July 11th, 2002, 10:40 am

I bumped into Gazzo last night and was able to get some of my questions answerd! The book is going to be published by "High Stakes publishing" and they have a teaser here:

http://216.239.37.100/search?q=cache:dO ... 1&ie=UTF-8

I am pretty excited. According to Gazzo it is all going to be in this book.

Gazzo also has some other pretty cool stiff in the works!

Best,

Dan-

Guest

Re: "The Phantom of the Card table" a new version ?

Postby Guest » July 11th, 2002, 10:56 am

Thanks for posting that link. It looks like the book comes out in October...it's going to be so hard waiting! :(

Guest

Re: "The Phantom of the Card table" a new version ?

Postby Guest » July 12th, 2002, 2:03 pm

Question: Around 1950 -1951, I was given a manuscript of the Phantom of the Card Table, with references to 1930.

It's 30 pages, mimeographed, and stapled.

I thought it was an original. Not many were printed, so I was told.

What could be missing - what is supposed to have been left out?

Just curious, how old is Gazzo Macee? I'm not familiar with the name.

If anyone has more info, I'd like to know about, please.

Guest

Re: "The Phantom of the Card table" a new version ?

Postby Guest » July 12th, 2002, 3:20 pm

Just curious, how old is Gazzo Macee?
I believe Gazzo is 41. Also goes by Gazzo Osbourne. (Gazzo is British slang abbreviation for both his names run together, hence the pronunciation of "Gohzzo", as in Wizard of Oz)

brian :cool:

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Re: "The Phantom of the Card table" a new version ?

Postby Richard Kaufman » July 12th, 2002, 5:09 pm

Gazzo's real name is Gary Osborne.
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Re: "The Phantom of the Card table" a new version ?

Postby Guest » July 15th, 2002, 2:04 pm

Years ago, at a New York Magic Symposium, I was one of many who watched in awe as Gazzo perfomed impossibilities with the punch deal. I recall it was all so staggeringly direct and incredible we had ear-to-ear grins on our faces (while all the while Gazzo proclaimed he wasn't in top form). The book should be a swell thing.

Guest

Re: "The Phantom of the Card table" a new version ?

Postby Guest » July 22nd, 2002, 8:23 am

Hi Joe,

From what I understand (I am repeating second hand info here)there were things in the manuscript that were not in the book. I would do a re-read of both and compare notes.

Of course, you could fax me a copy of the manuscript and I would be more than happy to read both for you and let you know what I find ;)

Also, from what I understand the book has more information on other things that the manuscript does not. For example, the letter to Dai vernon about slick cards.

Best,

Dan-

Originally posted by Joe DeStefano:
Question: Around 1950 -1951, I was given a manuscript of the Phantom of the Card Table, with references to 1930.

It's 30 pages, mimeographed, and stapled.

I thought it was an original. Not many were printed, so I was told.

What could be missing - what is supposed to have been left out?

Just curious, how old is Gazzo Macee? I'm not familiar with the name.

If anyone has more info, I'd like to know about, please.

Guest

Re: "The Phantom of the Card table" a new version ?

Postby Guest » July 22nd, 2002, 8:32 am

Originally posted by David Regal:
Years ago, at a New York Magic Symposium, I was one of many who watched in awe as Gazzo perfomed impossibilities with the punch deal. I recall it was all so staggeringly direct and incredible we had ear-to-ear grins on our faces (while all the while Gazzo proclaimed he wasn't in top form). The book should be a swell thing.
I wonder if anyone ever videotaped any of these performances for postarity. Last year I was able to purchase a copy of Gazzo's winning performace from the 1989 Ron Macmillian International magic competitions. Gazzo himself had no idea it existed.

If anyone has a tape of Gazzo working the punch deal from any of these conventions I would cut off a toe to see it (Not a big toe, I need those for balance) :) .

Best,

Dan-

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Re: "The Phantom of the Card table" a new version ?

Postby Richard Kaufman » July 22nd, 2002, 10:03 am

Gazzo's work on the Punch Deal was not the best in the world. I have been told by a very good authority that gamblers do not use the "peg" in combination with a second deal--it is used for other location purposes.
Also, the "peg" is supposed to be extremely small and not visible to the naked eye. You MUST feel it because it can't be seen. The pegs in Gazzo's cards could be clearly seen when sitting at the table.
Finally, Gazzo hesitated frequently when his thumb hit a pegged card. He would move his hands in fairly wide sideways gestures to gain additional seconds to prepare for the deal.
I'm not saying that Gazzo isn't good, but others such as Del Ray do far superior peg work.
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Re: "The Phantom of the Card table" a new version ?

Postby Guest » July 22nd, 2002, 10:20 am

I haven't seen Gazzo work, but I've seen Del Ray and Ed Marlo work the Punch. In fact, the actual Phantom (Walter Scott) let Marlo use HIS deck, which had incredibly fine and delicate work in it. Afterwards, Scott told Marlo that he was the only other cardmen who SUCCESSFULLY used his deck. Not even Vernon could successfully operate, using Scott's deck.

P.S. I know that Steve Draun used to practice working the Punch and had decent chops.

Peg Workers should check out Marlo's research in his MAGAZINES.

Onward...

Guest

Re: "The Phantom of the Card table" a new version ?

Postby Guest » July 22nd, 2002, 6:50 pm

Joe Sinatra (Artanis) did a pretty good "punch" deal - but, then again - he had to.

It was so "fine" I could hardly feel it, but he dealt like it was a "lump".

Guest

Re: "The Phantom of the Card table" a new version ?

Postby Guest » July 23rd, 2002, 5:00 am

Originally posted by Richard Kaufman:
The pegs in Gazzo's cards could be clearly seen when sitting at the table.
Finally, Gazzo hesitated frequently when his thumb hit a pegged card. He would move his hands in fairly wide sideways gestures to gain additional seconds to prepare for the deal.
Wow Richard, this is contrary to everything I have heard from others about Gazzo's punch work. Even from people who do not think much of Gazzo as an individual.

Are your remarks based on things you witnessed personally? If so, was this before Gazzo had his health issues?

I respect your opinion and would be interested to know.

Thanks,

Dan-

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Re: "The Phantom of the Card table" a new version ?

Postby Richard Kaufman » July 23rd, 2002, 5:14 pm

I personally watched Gazzo do his peg work on at least half a dozen occasions and this was long before his health problems. In fact, it was shortly after he came to the United States from Britain, just when he was starting to make the rounds. I was shocked at the reactions of some "experts" because what he was doing (hesitating during the deal) created suspicion at exactly the wrong moments. As far as the size of the peg he was using, it was one of the few things Darwin Ortiz and I agreed on: it was much too big and could easily be seen by others sitting at the table.
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Re: "The Phantom of the Card table" a new version ?

Postby Guest » July 24th, 2002, 5:14 am

Originally posted by Richard Kaufman:
I personally watched Gazzo do his peg work on at least half a dozen occasions and this was long before his health problems. In fact, it was shortly after he came to the United States from Britain, just when he was starting to make the rounds. I was shocked at the reactions of some "experts" because what he was doing (hesitating during the deal) created suspicion at exactly the wrong moments. As far as the size of the peg he was using, it was one of the few things Darwin Ortiz and I agreed on: it was much too big and could easily be seen by others sitting at the table.
Thanks for response Richard. I appreciate your input.

Thanks again,

Dan-


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