John Scarne
| John Scarne | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born |
Orlando Carmelo Scarnecchia March 4, 1903 Steubenville, Ohio, United States |
| Died | July 7, 1985 (aged 82) North Bergen, New Jersey, United States |
| Occupation | Magician, writer |
John Scarne (/ˈskɑːrni/; March 4, 1903 – July 7, 1985) was an American magician and book author who was particularly adept at playing card manipulation. He became known as an expert on cards and other games, and authored a number of popular books on cards, gambling, and related topics.
He was born Orlando Carmelo Scarnecchia in Steubenville, Ohio in the United States of America, and at some point anglicized his name to John Scarne. He grew up in the New Jersey communities of Fairview and Guttenberg. When he left school after the eighth grade, he learned from a local card sharp how to perform such swindles as The Three Card Monte, and how to cheat in gambling card games by manipulating the cards. Scarne began practicing sleight of hand with the goal of becoming a card sharp, but his Roman Catholic mother dissuaded her son from gambling in general, and cheating others in particular. She persuaded him to practice magic instead. Scarne soon extended his skill at handling cards to learning—and devising—magical effects with cards. He spent a few months learning about crooked gambling devices (including marked cards and loaded dice) at a nearby novelty store. Thanks to his endless practice, Scarne began making money as a magician.
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Wikipedia