Looking for Magician from South America

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Looking for Magician from South America

Postby Guest » December 28th, 2002, 6:21 pm

Back in the late 70s, when I was a kid, I remember seeing a "magic" show on cable tv that was a bit on the dark side. Specifically I remember a guillotine and buzzsaw illusion; but during the performance the magician only dismembered their assistants, and did not put them back together. I remember the buzzsaw illusion, with guts spilling out, and the magician pulling the woman off the table and standing her up for the audience to see, and then that was the end. Needless to say, I was very confused, being only about 8 years old.

I also remember seeing a small bit about the same magician on tv just a few years ago. I remember he was from some South American country.

Anyways, my question is, who was this magician? I am sure some of you know exactly who this is. I would be interested in getting my hands on a video, book, or article about him and his career.

Dallas

Jon Racherbaumer
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Re: Looking for Magician from South America

Postby Jon Racherbaumer » December 28th, 2002, 7:36 pm

This was probably Richiardi.

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Re: Looking for Magician from South America

Postby C. Hampton » December 28th, 2002, 8:21 pm

If its Richardi the guy you are talking about, he was from Spain, although many think that he was from South America.

To be specific he was from a town called Linea de la Concepcion in the province of Cadiz. :D
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Re: Looking for Magician from South America

Postby Max Maven » December 28th, 2002, 10:51 pm

The statement that Richiardi was from Spain is interesting. What is your source?

The standard biographical information about Richiardi Jr. is that he was born and raised in Peru. And in fact, that is what he told me.

Of course, that does not mean that he was telling the truth.

Guest

Re: Looking for Magician from South America

Postby Guest » December 29th, 2002, 12:04 am

Thanks for the info everyone. Does anyone know of any of his perfomances available on video? Also, what are your opinions of his magic?

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Re: Looking for Magician from South America

Postby Richard Kaufman » December 29th, 2002, 10:43 am

I saw Richiardi close a show at the Felt Forum at Madison Square Garden when I was a kid. Festival of Magic and the Occult might have been the title. It's also the first place I saw Bobby Baxter, he was very funny and did the Hummer Whirling Card.
Anyway, Richiardi did a number of illusions, but the only two I can remember are the DeKolta Chair and the Buzzsaw. The DeKolta Chair was shocking, of course. The Buzzsaw was done very seriously. My grandmother took me and I thought she was going to faint. Being a watcher of horror movies from way back, I wanted to go on stage and take a closer look, but she wasn't going to allow that. It was an impressive and deadly serious performance of an illusion that is generally followed up with the reproduction of the woman, stepping lightly out from behind a curtain afterward and smiling. This babe looked dead as a doornail, with entrails hanging over the side of the table. I vividly remember the blood and crap flying all over the place when the saw went through her. It was really a performance from the Grand Guignol theater of France rather than a magic trick.
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Eric DeCamps
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Re: Looking for Magician from South America

Postby Eric DeCamps » December 29th, 2002, 3:17 pm

I had the pleasure of working for Mr. Richiardi at his last run in the Felt Forum at Madison Square Garden in the early 1980's. I am in agreement with Max, Aldo also told me he was born in Peru and much of his early publicity material was published in Peru.

The last I heard was that his son, Ricardo, was living in Brazil and his daughter, Rena, was living in Florida.

As great as the show was at the Felt Forum, to me the greatest show he put together was at New York's Village Gate. The room was small and intimate and the illusions seemed even more spectacular in that particular venue.

Eric DeCamps


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