Sam Margules

Sam Margules
Born	1896 Rumania
Died	August 24 1962
Flourished	1920 to 1960

Sam Margules (c. 1896-d.1962), also known as "Ramee Sami", was son of a Russian-Jewish lawyer father and a Rumanian mother. He was a popular magician in and around New York.

Biography

Born in Rumania, Mr. Margules came to America at age three where he was reared in the theatre around New York City. When starting out in magic, he constructed his own props.

In his forty years of show business, Margules worked with such magic greats as Horace Goldin in the 1920s, Houdini, Hardeen, Howard Thurston and Dunninger. He was a great friend of Dai Vernon. Mr. Margules was instrumental in the production of many SAM Assembly 1 stage shows during the 1930s and 1940s. He represented Horace Goldin in both North and South America, in particular with regard to the sawing a lady in half illusion. Mr. Margules testified during the Horace Goldin/R. J. Reynolds Co. lawsuit involving Camel Cigarette adds that exposed the workings of magic tricks.

Mr. Margules was a veteran of World War I, serving in the Navy overseas during 1917 and 1918. During World War II he went overseas to the European Theater of Operations with Unit No. 507, "Frontline Special", playing the so-called Foxhole Circuit with his self effacing slap-stick magic act. He toured in the Pacific Asian Theater of war as well.

Mr. Margules' main source of income was derived from his work in his auto parts business. His sister, Annette Magules was a noted actress in New York Theater.

Margules was an active member of the Magician's Guild and the Society of American Magicians. He was a columnist for Conjurors' Magazine as Ramee Sami.

References

New York Times obituary August 29, 1962; Dai Vernon, A Magical Life, Bruce Cervon and Keith Burns, 1992.