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	<title>Steve Cohen Chamber Magic &#124; The Millionaires&#039; Magician at the Waldorf-Astoria, NYC &#187; Interesting People</title>
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		<title>Max Malini&#8217;s advertising booklet, ca 1926</title>
		<link>http://blog.chambermagic.com/interesting-people/max-malini-booklet?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=max-malini-booklet</link>
		<comments>http://blog.chambermagic.com/interesting-people/max-malini-booklet#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 15 Nov 2011 02:06:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Steve Cohen</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Interesting People]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chamber magic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[high-society entertainment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[magic history]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[magic show]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[max malini]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Waldorf-Astoria]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[white house]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.chambermagic.com/?p=4298</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As readers of this blog know, I am somewhat infatuated by Max Malini, the extraordinary magician who entertained celebrities, tycoons and aristocrats. I've modeled my career on his, and have been tracking down Malini stories for years. Many of these stories are chronicled throughout this blog.

I recently acquired Malini's advertising booklet at auction (circa 1926) and was delighted for two reasons simultaneously. First, it is an honor to own this historic memorabilia of a prominent magic figure. The booklet is in very good hands.

Second, the text of the booklet has confirmed that Max Malini stayed and performed regularly at the hotel where I've presented Chamber Magic for the last decade: the Waldorf-Astoria in New York.

In his advertising booklet, he includes laudatory letters from prominent figures, including President Harding. Here is one of the inside pages, containing personal notes from General Pershing and Vice President Charles Dawes [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.chambermagic.com/interesting-people/max-malini-booklet/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Performing for astronaut Buzz Aldrin, my childhood hero</title>
		<link>http://blog.chambermagic.com/interesting-people/buzz-aldrin?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=buzz-aldrin</link>
		<comments>http://blog.chambermagic.com/interesting-people/buzz-aldrin#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 17 Oct 2011 05:31:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Steve Cohen</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Interesting People]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Buzz Aldrin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[celebrity guest]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[high-society entertainment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[linking rings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Magic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[magic show]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Richard Garriott]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[special event]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[watch collection]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.chambermagic.com/?p=4138</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Buzz Aldrin after my performance in New York: "I used to think Saturn V was a miracle. But your show - this was a real miracle."

I performed magic last week for NASA astronaut Buzz Aldrin and a fascinating group of space tourism supporters.

Buzz let me use his ring for one of my tricks - the ring HE WORE ON THE MOON!

Without a doubt, that experience trumps all the other notable rings I've borrowed in the past, including a Super Bowl ring, and Ellen Barkin's wedding ring.

I still can't get over it. I held the ring Buzz Aldrin wore while walking on the moon. And he let me use it in my show. What an honor.

After the show he also allowed me [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.chambermagic.com/interesting-people/buzz-aldrin/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Renée Zellweger visits Chamber Magic</title>
		<link>http://blog.chambermagic.com/interesting-people/renee-zellweger?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=renee-zellweger</link>
		<comments>http://blog.chambermagic.com/interesting-people/renee-zellweger#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 08 Oct 2011 11:56:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Steve Cohen</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Interesting People]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[movie star]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Renee Zellweger]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.chambermagic.com/?p=4112</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I'm a fan of movie star Renée Zellweger, and was thrilled when I found her sitting in the front row at my show last night. In this blog post, read what she had to say about the show [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.chambermagic.com/interesting-people/renee-zellweger/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Newest member of the legendary Friars Club: Me</title>
		<link>http://blog.chambermagic.com/interesting-people/friars-club?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=friars-club</link>
		<comments>http://blog.chambermagic.com/interesting-people/friars-club#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 24 Sep 2011 23:27:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Steve Cohen</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Interesting People]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Amusing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Friars Club]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[luxury experiences]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[max malini]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.chambermagic.com/?p=4076</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Have you ever wanted to see the inside of the legendary Friars Club in New York City? It&#8217;s a private members-only club with rich show business history. Then read on, and enjoy a few in-action photos from my recent induction ceremony, held on September 20, 2011. The ceremony was held in the Frank Sinatra dining [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.chambermagic.com/interesting-people/friars-club/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Oscar the Magician, Maitre d&#8217;Hotel of the Waldorf-Astoria</title>
		<link>http://blog.chambermagic.com/interesting-people/oscar-the-magician?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=oscar-the-magician</link>
		<comments>http://blog.chambermagic.com/interesting-people/oscar-the-magician#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 19 Jul 2011 00:51:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Steve Cohen</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Interesting People]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.chambermagic.com/?p=3850</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I love stumbling across historical gems -- here's one from The Sphinx magazine (a well-known magazine for magicians) that ties together two of my loves: magic and the Waldorf-Astoria hotel. This hotel, now located on Park Avenue, was previously located at the corner of 34th Street and Fifth Avenue, but was torn down in 1929 to make room for the Empire State Building.

Editor William Hilliar reported this closing in the May 1929 issue, and wrote about one of the Waldorf's most famous employees, Oscar Tschirky. If you've been to my Chamber Magic show, you know that I summon the ghost of Oscar nightly to assist with a magic trick. It turns out he was actually a bit of a magician himself, as you'll see below.

Here is the text I found [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.chambermagic.com/interesting-people/oscar-the-magician/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Legendary magician David Berglas visits the Waldorf</title>
		<link>http://blog.chambermagic.com/interesting-people/legendary-magician-david-berglas-visits-the-waldorf?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=legendary-magician-david-berglas-visits-the-waldorf</link>
		<comments>http://blog.chambermagic.com/interesting-people/legendary-magician-david-berglas-visits-the-waldorf#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 13 Jun 2011 00:04:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Steve Cohen</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Interesting People]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[David Berglas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Magic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[special event]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Waldorf-Astoria]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.chambermagic.com/?p=3762</guid>
		<description><![CDATA["For the uninitiated layman, everything Steve Cohen presents in "Chamber Magic" must seem totally impossible and could easily convert anyone to believe in the paranormal.

"Other mentalists and all magicians should watch Steve carefully. Not so much for the actual effects but for his superb patter, timing and presentation. Few other entertainers are able to create the kind of intimate and mysterious atmosphere that this evening offers and, in the best show-business tradition, he leaves them wanting even more!"

--David Berglas

I was honored to receive this praise from David Berglas, one of the living legends in magic. David and his wife Ruth visited my show in London, and we've remained in touch over the years. A few years back, they visited New York City, and I organized a lavish luncheon in David's honor at the Waldorf-Astoria. Here is the personalized menu from the Peacock Alley private dining room [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.chambermagic.com/interesting-people/legendary-magician-david-berglas-visits-the-waldorf/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Max Malini and Two-Gun Cohen</title>
		<link>http://blog.chambermagic.com/interesting-people/max-malini-two-gun-cohen?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=max-malini-two-gun-cohen</link>
		<comments>http://blog.chambermagic.com/interesting-people/max-malini-two-gun-cohen#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 28 May 2011 21:04:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Steve Cohen</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Interesting People]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.chambermagic.com/?p=3577</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As convenient as the internet has become, there is no substitute for doing research the old-fashioned way - searching for rare books in the stacks of the New York Public Library. As long-time readers of this blog will know, I'm somewhat infatuated with the historic magician Max Malini. I've modeled my career on him, visited his home and even stood in the garden where he died.

So it was with great excitement that I located a passage in a non-magic related book that included a new story about Malini. The book is titled "Two Gun Cohen" by Daniel S. Levy. I've included the passage below, followed by some further comments from me. Two Gun Cohen was the nickname of Morris Cohen, a Jewish mercenary who befriended Sun Yat-Sen, worked as his bodyguard, and became a major-general in the Chinese army. He carried two guns, and was apparently not afraid to use them.

Here, then, is the Malini story which takes place in Shanghai, China, at a time [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.chambermagic.com/interesting-people/max-malini-two-gun-cohen/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Derren Brown&#8217;s lovely comments</title>
		<link>http://blog.chambermagic.com/interesting-people/derren-brown-comments?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=derren-brown-comments</link>
		<comments>http://blog.chambermagic.com/interesting-people/derren-brown-comments#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 27 May 2011 03:17:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Steve Cohen</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Interesting People]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[celebrity guest]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chamber magic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Derren Brown]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[high-society entertainment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[London]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[luxury experiences]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Magic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[magic show]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Magic Circle]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.chambermagic.com/?p=3554</guid>
		<description><![CDATA["Aside from his success, it is Steve Cohen's charm and elegance which separate him from all but a tiny elite of world-class magicians. However, Steve is the only magician from that elite and highly-select group to take his show to an elite and highly-select audience. It is a true one-off: an intimate caprice of parlour diversion by an enthralling and consummate master."

-Derren Brown

I also dug out an old photo of Derren with my wife and children [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.chambermagic.com/interesting-people/derren-brown-comments/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Magical film premier at NYC Friars Club</title>
		<link>http://blog.chambermagic.com/interesting-people/magical-film-friars-club?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=magical-film-friars-club</link>
		<comments>http://blog.chambermagic.com/interesting-people/magical-film-friars-club#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 12 May 2011 04:46:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Steve Cohen</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Interesting People]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ed Sullivan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Elizabeth Taylor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[frank sinatra]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Friars Club]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Johnny Carson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lance Burton]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lucille Ball]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Magic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Milton Berle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[movie]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[private club]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.chambermagic.com/?p=3461</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Yes, that's me with master magician Lance Burton at the Friars Club in New York City. We were there tonight for the premier screening of a new magic-themed movie: Make Believe.

The Friars Club is a grand old club for entertainers and people in the entertainment industry. Past members include all the show business legends, including Johnny Carson, Frank Sinatra, Lucille Ball, Elizabeth Taylor, Ed Sullivan and Milton Berle.  The street entrance looks like this [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.chambermagic.com/interesting-people/magical-film-friars-club/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Millionaires&#8217; Magician circa 1928? Have I been reincarnated?</title>
		<link>http://blog.chambermagic.com/interesting-people/waldorf-astoria-magician-1936?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=waldorf-astoria-magician-1936</link>
		<comments>http://blog.chambermagic.com/interesting-people/waldorf-astoria-magician-1936#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 21 Apr 2011 01:11:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Steve Cohen</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Interesting People]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[high-society entertainment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[luxury experiences]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[magic history]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[millionaires' magician]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NY Times]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Waldorf-Astoria]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.chambermagic.com/?p=3326</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I had an uncanny out-of-body experience this week. A gentleman from England sent me his uncle's scrapbooks from the 1930s and 40s, and they were filled with memorabilia of a famous magician who worked for 18 years at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York. The magician's name? Dr. Sydney Ross PhD.

He entertained aristocrats, dazzled celebrities, and stumped politicians - even several US presidents. For all intents and purposes, he was "The Millionaires' Magician" of his day, and even worked in the same hotel as me!

Going through his clippings, photos and promotional material felt like I was reading about myself from the future. What a mind-trip!

According to his nephew, Dr Ross jokingly told people that his PhD was in "phinagling." He must have been very good at it, since he was invited to entertain Franklin D Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt in the White House. More on that in a moment. [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
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