Help us get to over 8,756 articles in 2024.
If you know of a magician not listed in MagicPedia, start a New Biography for them. Contact us at magicpediahelp@gmail.com
Chefalo
Chefalo (1885-1963) born Ralfo Cefalo was an Italian born magician. He learned magic as a boy in America.
Chefalo played vaudeville bills throughout the world with his wife. First as Capretta and Chefalo, then as Palermo and Chefalo and eventually as The Great Chafalo.
His friend Houdini suggested that he change his style to mostly pantomime in 1907.
During World War I, he toured South America. After the first war, Chefalo also toured Australia with his wife and a troupe of midgets in 1926 and 1933.
He spent War World II years, performing in home country Italy and Czechoslovakia. He even gave a gala show for the troops when the American army arrived. After the war, he returned to performing in Vaudeville, featuring P. T. Selbit's Million Dollar Mystery.
He was still a star, touring with a circus in Korea, when he died in 1963.
Contributions
- Invented the Girl in Drum illusion
- Invented the Chefalo knot.
Publications
- Some of his rope magic effects are in the Stewart James' Encyclopedia of Rope Tricks.
References
- The Illustrated History of Magic By Milbourne Christopher
- http://nla.gov.au/nla.cs-pa-http%253A%252F%252Fwww.slv.vic.gov.au%252Falma%252F0%252F0%252F0%252Fdoc%252Fal000333.shtml