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Chefalo

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Revision as of 13:24, 11 November 2008 by Jpecore (Talk | contribs) (References)

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Chefalo (1885-1963) born Raffaele 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 Chefalo.

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