Who Might This Be?

[David Moore]

From Monday's New York Times Dear Diary Column.

Dear Diary
By JOE ROGERS

DEAR DIARY:

Experience is a great teacher, and this California-based octogenarian learned a memorable lesson on a New York subway train more than five decades ago.

Visiting New York, I boarded a subway car in Midtown, heading uptown to a technical meeting at Columbia University. I struck up a conversation with a man sitting next to me, and he informed me that he was the official house magician at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel. This unusually interesting revelation to an out-of-towner resulted in a lively conversation between us, terminated only many minutes later when he stood up to exit the car at a stop just before mine.

As he approached the door, he suddenly wheeled around and handed me my wallet and [censored]. I had felt absolutely no physical contact whatsoever during the entire ride, but his warm and wise smile taught me what he must have generously thought I needed to know.

Emery Rogers

[Jim Maloney_dup1]

Well, Steve Cohen's in the Waldorf Astoria now. I have no idea who, if anyone, was there 50 years ago.

In any case, pickpocketing a stranger on the subway is just asking for trouble, whether or not you give it back.

-Jim

[Steve Cohen]

Dr. Sidney Ross used to be the house magician at the Waldorf-Astoria over 50 years ago. He was probably the magician described in the NY Times article. Harry Lorayne told me stories about watching Dr Ross perform in Peacock Alley restaurant close to 60 years ago - you can read about it in Apocalypse.

My show at the Waldorf-Astoria will be celebrating its three year anniversary in September. If you're in the NY area, please introduce yourself after the show.