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Gazzo (magician)

Gary 'Gazzo' Osbourne
Gazzo(magic).jpg
Promotional photo of Gary 'Gazzo' Osbourne
Born 1960
Wallingford,
United Kingdom
Nationality British
Other names Gazzo, Gazzo Macée
Occupation Magician
Known for sleight of hand,
street magic
Spouse(s) Kristin

Gary 'Gazzo' Osbourne is a British street magician. An expert in cons and scams he moved to the US in the 1980s where he befriended the legendary Walter Irving Scott (The Phantom). He is Scott's only pupil and the only person with whom Scott entrusted his biography and life's work at card cheating and sleights.

Born in 1960 in Wallingford his interest in magic was sparked by a Christmas gift from his aunt. Age 10 he also received a copy of 'The Phantom of the Card Table' manuscript by Walter Irving Scott and Eddie McGuire, from his grandfather. The almost impossibly skilled protagonist talked about, The Phantom, intrigued the young magician and influenced his own development. He focused on scams and swindles, associating with a team of monte men until, in the late 1970s, he moved to London.

In London Osborne took to street performance on the weekends at Covent Garden. His show was a mixture of magic and comedy. At the Magic Circle headquarters in London he practiced his sleight of hand card work, among some of the top performers in the country, from what he could now gather from Scott's manuscript. While he obsessed with false dealing, and Scott's work, Osbourne began to notice that no one else appreciated Scott's stature, or even knew he, or his work, even existed. The few that did believe the wild stories of 'The Phantom's' skills also believed he was still alive, fifty years after his famous demonstration in New York City in 1930, and this was the incentive Osborne needed to search out this mysterious figure of magic folklore.

In 1983 Osborne arrived in New York City. Short of money he relied on the kindness of other street performers, or their friends, to have a place to stay. He also had to tailor his style of comedy to the American audiences in order to start making money from his street magic shows again.

He continued to practice his card work and demonstrated his skills to local New York magicians. After years of dedicated work his skills were without doubt. His reputation as a first class card dealer spread quickly and he soon found himself, much like his manuscript mentor, performing for the elite of New York's Inner Circle.


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