The Legendary Jimmy Grippo

If it were not for Jimmy Grippo, I would probably have not have been so deeply involved in magic today. I might still be a Sunday afternoon parlor magician, which is not bad, but not as much fun an rewarding as enjoying magic each day. Even though I began
learning magical effects when I was only 8 years old, I probably would still be doing the same tricks that everyone else performed. Nothing great, but adequate.
My father and mother, Geno and Rose Munari, encouraged me. My mother was associated with Louie St. Pierre, the second owner of Hollywood Magic Company. Mr. St. Pierre told my mother that I
could have anything that I saw in an old Douglasland Magic catalog
for one-half the price. He was a nice man. I took advantage of
his generosity.

I frequented Hollywood Magic Company every weekend. Some
weekends I would go to Bruce's Haunted House in Glendale. I would
make it an all day excursion on the bus. Hollywood was especially
neat because their were plenty of odd characters to look at while
riding through Hollywood. And the magic shop was full of tricks!
I never wanted to leave. My mom would give me a few dollars and I
was in seventh heaven. I would stay as long as management would
permit.

Frank Ross was ever so kind to me and always said, "Buy books,
they are better than tricks." That was hard for me to understand,
but I did take his advice. I learned many tricks, but still like
most young boys, I wanted big props.

I'll never forget when I was 12 years old and broke my leg at
the local park on the monkey bars. I was laid up for the whole
summer of 1958. My father was so good to me, knowing that was
laid up for the summer with a broken leg. He went to Hollywood
Magic and bought me a neat coin through glass that Thayer built.
He also bought me Scarne's Book of 200 Magic Tricks. Scarne's
tricks were and are still great. Little did I know then that I
would meet Jimmy Grippo, one of Scarne's best friends. In
Scarne's book on card magic, I probably read over the trick that
Jimmy Grippo submitted many times.

I moved to Las Vegas in 1964 and met Gary Meador, a.k.a. Darwin,
who was a bellman at the Sahara Hotel. My cousin, Frank Schivo,
was one of the owners of the Sahara, coming to Las Vegas from
Butte, Montana with Milton Prell in the late 40's. He arranged
a job for me. I went to U.N.L.V. by day and bused dishes by
night.

In about 1970, I met Jimmy Grippo. Jimmy would come to the
Dunes Hotel and perform tricks on the baccarat table
when nobody was playing. Jimmy knew all of the owners from either
New York or Miami. Jimmy's influence on me changed my entire
thinking about magic. I had never ever seen anybody perform like
Jimmy! He knocked my socks off. He still knocks my socks off.
I would go to Caesars and have dinner in the Bacchanal Room just
to see his magic. And then meet him on Wednesday night at the
magic club that would meet at Pat's Chineese Kitchen, the
Colonial House, or some other late night hangout that Gary Meador
would find.

Jimmy and I hit it off very well. He used to come out to my
casino and do tricks for my dealers. I couldn't wait for him to
show up.

In 1981, Jimmy and I published "The Magic of Jimmy Grippo". In
this book I edited a manuscript that Jimmy had put together more
than forty years before. The tricks and the style that Jimmy
performed in was radically different than the style that I knew,
and most of the vip guests of Caesars Palace knew. Jimmy did not
want to add any of his "Caesars" material for fear that everyone
would be doing it. I took a great financial risk publishing this
book, because I was of the understanding that it would include
some of the "Caesars" material.

The description of Jimmy's performance has been captured in rare
appearance on the Johnny Carson Show and Merv Griffin. Those
fortunate to view these performances will realize the value of the
magic of Jimmy Grippo. His approach, his way in handling
big-shots, his manners were all examples for me to learn from. He
helped me in my presentation of magic. There has been no better
presentation of close-up magic anywhere. I thank you Jimmy.
I probably have been the biggest collector of Grippobilia than
anyone on earth. If I did not write this book, all of my
observations, notes, antedotes, fun, and descriptions of Jimmy's
magic would be lost forever. Hence my motive in writing the
book.

Jimmy did not originate all of the magical effects he performed,
but he did them in a special manner. The stories and effects that
I have described are from my observations and notes, and strictly
from my point of view, with the hope that the legacy of Jimmy
Grippo has not diminished with the immortality that we all face.

Jimmy, wherever you are, please forgive me for wanting your
legacy to continue.