The Magician and the Cardsharp : The Search for America's Greatest Sleight-of-Hand Artist

**A famous magician's journey to find the greatest cardsharp ever evokes the forgotten world of magic where Americans found escape during the Great Depression** It has the nostalgic quality of an old-fashioned fable, but Karl Johnson's __The Magician and the Cardsharp__ is a true story that lovingly re-creates the sparkle of a vanished world. Here, set against the backdrop of America struggling through the Depression, is the world of magic, a realm of stars, sleight of hand, and sin where dreams could be realized-or stolen away. Following the Crash of '29, Dai Vernon, known by magicians as "the man who fooled Houdini," is tramping down Midwestern backroads, barely making ends meet. While swapping secrets with a Mexican gambler, he hears of a guy he doesn't quite believe is real-a legendary mystery man who deals perfectly from the center of the deck and who locals call the greatest cardsharp of all time. Determined to find the reclusive genius, Vernon sets out on a journey through America's shady, slick, and sinful side-from mob-run Kansas City through railroad towns that looked sleepy only in the daytime. Does he find the sharp? Well, Karl Johnson did-after years of research into Vernon's colorful quest, research that led him to places he never knew existed. Johnson takes us to the cardsharp's doorstep and shows us how he bestowed on Vernon the greatest secret in magic. __The Magician and the Cardsharp__ is a unique and endlessly entertaining piece of history that reveals the artistry and obsession of a special breed of American showmen. A famous magician's journey to find the greatest cardsharp ever evokes the forgotten world of magic where Americans found escape during the Great DepressionIt has the nostalgic quality of an old-fashioned fable, but Karl Johnson's The Magician and the Cardsharp is a true story that lovingly re-creates the sparkle of a vanished world. Here, set against the backdrop of America struggling through the Depression, is the world of magic, a realm of stars, sleight of hand, and sin where dreams could be realized - or stolen away. Following the Crash of'29, Dai Vernon, known by magicians as'the man who fooled Houdini,'is tramping down Midwestern backroads, barely making ends meet. While swapping secrets with a Mexican gambler, he hears of a guy he doesn't quite believe is real - a legendary mystery man who deals perfectly from the center of the deck and who locals call the greatest cardsharp of all time. Determined to find the reclusive genius, Vernon sets out on a journey through America's shady, slick, and sinful side - from mob-run Kansas City through railroad towns that looked sleepy only in the daytime. Does he find the sharp? Well, Karl Johnson did - after years of research into Vernon's colorful quest, research that led him to places he never knew existed. Johnson takes us to the cardsharp's doorstep and shows us how he bestowed on Vernon the greatest secret in magic. The Magician and the Cardsharp is a unique and endlessly entertaining piece of history that reveals the artistry and obsession of a special breed of American showmen. In the 1920s, during an era when Americans were crazy for magic, Dai Vernon earned a reputation as a genius of the magical arts. Vernon (known by peers as "the man who fooled Houdini") and a select group of magicians known as the Inner Circle rose to fame in a realm of stars and sleight of hand where dreams could be realized-or stolen away. Then hard times descended after the crash of '29. The lights of New York faded, audiences dwindled, and Vernon headed west. Little did he realize that his life was about to change A Biography Set Against The Backdrop Of Depression-era America Traces The Efforts Of Famed Magician Dai Vernon, Who Wandered The Backroads And Shady Underworld Of The Midwest In Search Of A Mysterious, Legendary Cardsharp. Perfect -- Cards On The Tracks -- Pleasant Hill -- With It -- Midnight -- Single-o -- The Best I've Met In Years -- Dice Man -- And A Little Child Shall Lead Them -- The Gambler's Rose -- One Card. Karl Johnson. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 323-329) And Index. To Dai Vernon, Amador Villasenor was a lucky draw, like turning up three aces in the last hand on a losing night.