{"product_id":"the-coney-island-fakir-the-magical-life-of-al-flosso-by-gary-brown-1st-ed-1997","title":"The Coney Island Fakir: The Magical Life of Al Flosso by Gary Brown 1st Ed 1997","description":"\u003cp\u003eCondition: Fair - damage to cover.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGary R. Brown’s 1997 biography, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Coney Island Fakir: The Magical Life of Al Flosso\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, chronicles the life and career of Albert Levinson (1895–1976), who performed under the stage name Al Flosso. Born on New York’s Lower East Side, Flosso worked his way up from street-corner shill, carnival pitchman, Punch and Judy operator, and Coney Island sideshow artist to become one of the most distinctive figures in 20th-century American entertainment. Standing just 5'2\", he made a massive impression with his loud, gravelly carnival-pitcher persona, oversized bow ties, and brilliant sleight-of-hand technique. He perfected and popularized the classic \"Miser's Dream\" routine—pulling endless streams of coins out of thin air and dropping them into a metal bucket—which brought him national prominence on Broadway, in film, and on early television shows like \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Ed Sullivan Show\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn addition to detailing his stage career, Brown explores Flosso's pivotal role behind the scenes of the magic community as the proprietor of Martinka \u0026amp; Co. (later the Flosso\/Hornman Magic Co.), America's oldest magic shop. Operating out of a famously cluttered NYC store crammed with historical props and apparatus, Flosso served as a mentor, dealer, and confidant to generations of iconic magicians ranging from Harry Houdini to David Copperfield. Richly illustrated with rare historical photographs, personal letters, and performance archives, the first edition published by L\u0026amp;L Publishing also features a complete historical reprint of Flosso’s 1940s trick compilation, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOur Mysteries\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, offering readers a preserved look into classic routines from Flosso, Al Baker, and Ted Annemann.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"hillcountrymagic","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43978298785851,"sku":"EB-158200671665","price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0675\/7751\/1995\/files\/2A1DE61B-C5D1-45D8-8F0F-66B762CC739F.jpg?v=1786673185","url":"https:\/\/hillcountrymagic.com\/products\/the-coney-island-fakir-the-magical-life-of-al-flosso-by-gary-brown-1st-ed-1997","provider":"hillcountrymagic","version":"1.0","type":"link"}