Joe Scott

Joe Scott
Born	Joseph S. Peskulic July 20, 1903 St. Louis, Missouri
Died	January 21, 1991 (age 87)

Joseph "Scott" Peskulic (1903-1991), born to Croatian parents, worked as a typesetter for many print shops and newspapers and performed magic as Joe Scott.

Biography

Peskulic started in magic early and by the age of nine was searching the St. Louis Public Library system for books on magic. By fifteen, was performing at a number of church dinners and parties.

Desiring a simpler, less ethnic-sounding name, he choose the name Scott at the suggestion of Charles Regan, a writer for the St. Louis Star. In 1920, Joe Scott was playing neighborhood theaters with an act that included billiard balls, cards and comedy.

In 1934 Peskulic joined William Mayer (who used the stage name Warfield) to put together a large full-evening show called the Warfield-Scott Show, and later as The American Mystery Show. They traveled throughout the small towns of the Midwest. The shows featured much magic but Scott was add ventriloquism, leaving magic to Warfield. The depression of the 1930's brought an end to their show. With the end of the American Mystery Show, he accepted a position working over the years as a typesetter for many print shops and newspapers, including the Globe and the Post Dispatch.

In 1943, Peskulic enlisted in the Navy and was stationed at Lambert Field. He was assigned the responsibility for putting together shows to play at War Bond Drives and military bases in the Midwest. After the war, he returned to work in the printing business and worked extensively as a part-time magician. He did the Famous-Barr Christmas Show for thirteen years. He also worked on excursion boats and did many club shows, church and fraternal groups, as well as Blue and Gold Banquets.

He retired in the late sixties, but started making small props, including small die boxes.

He was an active member of S.A.M. Assembly No. 8 and later helped Ben Badley reorganize it in the 1940's.

He also kept up an active correspondence with many of the greats of magic, including Dai Vernon and Faucett Ross.

Peskulic suffered a stroke in his later years and spent this time at Bethesda Senior Center.

Awards

In 1995, Joe Scott was awarded the St. Louis Magical Heritage Award posthumously.