RICHARD :

Comm. Riccardi You have been a lover of prestige for many years and over the years you have been, and still is, an important point of reference for Italian prestige on an international level.

He has held various positions within national and international magical associations of which he is an honorary member. In this exclusive interview for SuperEva, I would like you to retrace your steps when, at the age of ten, you became passionate about conjuring ...

RICCARDI :

The introduction to conjuring coincided with a box of magic given to me by my father on December 25, 1931 (I was 10 years old).

My enthusiasm was immediately evident but was not particularly appreciated: in fact, after having expressed the desire to become a magician, I was abruptly scolded by my parents because at that time conjuring was not part of the professions that found the "placet" of the family. If to this fact (we are in '31) we add the total absence of shops to find magical material, books on the subject, magicians, circles and more, it is easy to understand the difficulty in cultivating this understanding.

Neither my irreducible desire for any deepening, found the slightest satisfaction in some small books found fortunately in the basement of some bookstore or witnessing miserable improvised executions by pathetic itinerants who pretended to be illusionists.

So I spent a long and fruitless period without being able to improve my magical knowledge. In the meantime I learned that abroad it was very easy to find books and magical materials, so I began to study languages, believing that these would have been my pass for the deepening of magical art. But unfortunately the war period intervened between me and my tragurado, it lasted 5 long years, which I spent in Africa and England.

Returning safely to my homeland, I managed to establish the first important contacts with magician residing in America.

In 1953 the CMI (Italian Magic Club) was founded in Italy and the knowledge of its President Prof. ALBERTO SITTA finally opens up new horizons, friendships, illustrious acquaintances, the availability of material and books.

Together with his brotherly friend Prof. GIAMPAOLO ZELLI he met in adolescence in a toy shop owned by Cav. ALCIDE FERRAIOLI, who also sold some elementary effects of prestige, we worked together to increase our knowledge with the aim of making every possible improvement to our common passion.

In fact, in 1969, at his suggestion, we decided to join the foundation of an IBM club (International Brotherood of Magicians) in Rome which identified itself with the name of “Ring 204 ″.

Our Club became the most prestigious catwalk for illusionists and magicians from all over the world (over 150 paraded).

At last I could consider my best wish expressed.

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RICHARD :

His contribution to the Italian Magic Art has also profused him as a writer of books on Chinese magic and shadows and also as editorial coordinator of the Italian prestige magazine, directed by Tony Binarelli, "Qui Magia".
When did your approach to writing begin in the field of magic.

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RICCARDI :

When I finally managed to appropriate a good slice of magical culture, I felt an irrepressible desire to communicate to other enthusiasts like me of prestige, the ideas, insights, variants, which I was able to rework.

TONY BINARELLI in 1988 created a new magazine of prestige and illusionism "QUI MAGIA" and entrusted me with the position of Editor-in-Chief which I am very willing to maintain today.

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RICHARD :

A few years ago I paid her my first visit to her home in Genzano near Rome and I was really fascinated and enchanted in front of that stupid magical showcase that contains magic cards from all over the world, relics of great illusionists and many other magical wonders. I would like you to describe that showcase to our readers.

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RICCARDI:

In order to fully describe what is contained in the showcase you are referring to, I should ask you to send the reply in episodes!

It contains about 40 years of magical life made of travel (United States, Canada, Russia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Austria, Belgium, Holland) of research (I visited the most prestigious Magic Houses: TANNEN'S, THE MAGIC HANDS , MAYETTE, SUPREME, STANLEY etc.) of friendship (in particular that with FRANK GARCIA, TONY SLYDINI, JOE COSSARI, AMEDEO VACCA, the latter secretary and particular partner in the last 3 years of HARRY HOUDINI's life) and precious personal magical finds by FRED KAPS, KEN BROOKE, FREDDY FAH, HENK VERMEYDEN, DAI VERNON, BOB SWADLING, ALEX ELMSLEY, BRO. JOHN HAMMAN, FUROTA ... and maybe my memory is lacking at the moment ...

RICHARD :

You are International Vice President of the International Brotherood of Magicians (IBM - World Association of Brotherhood of Magicians), you were among the founders of the Ring 204 in Rome, of which for twenty years he was the President, I want to ask you for a Your personal opinion of the state of health of prestidigitation in Italy.

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RICCARDI:

You hook me up with a million dollar question!

Until a few years ago you could count on a good national cultural activity carried out on a regular basis: 4 annual meetings of the CMI, 9 meetings of the Ring 204 in Rome, the annual congress in Sain Vincent by VITTORIO BALLI ... it is no longer so ... logically, the first to suffer from it was the magical art.

Today we can count on 2 "annual courses"; the first held by SILVAN (perhaps this year, due to the lack of minimum number of registrations the course may not be confirmed: a pity because another cultural reference point disappears) and the second TONY BINARELLI (held from 1995 to 2000 in S. Martino di Castrozza and in 2001 in Varazze) lasting 7 days with 7 teachers (1 of which international).

It is logical that the current lack of magical cultural manifestations causes a drastic lowering of the magical culture, especially in young people who, while attending the meetings of the various circles, do not have the opportunity to increase their experience and their cultural background at an international level. .

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RICHARD :

I would like to ask you to tell some unedited curiosities about the international illusionists that you have had the pleasure of frequenting over the years.

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RICCARDI :

Among the spectacular and unpublished curiosities I could tell how the meeting between AMEDEO VACCA and HOUDINI happened ... or the events in the school held by TONY SLYDINI in New York ... or how the fans of JOE COSSARI were born ... but it would take large spaces of the encyclopedia type Braids!

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RICHARD:

What advice would you give to those approaching conjuring for the first time?

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RICCARDI :

Learn languages, read, read, read and read, become a sponge when attending the greatest number of lessons taught by professionals.

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RICHARD :

What suggestions do you want to give to those who professionally practice the Magic Art and to those who, albeit amateur, perform in front of an audience?

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RICCARDI :

It is absolutely forbidden to buy a game to play it again that evening; have command of the Italian language or perform the silent number; for repetitive games, such as matrix, use a rhythmic music that is known and in any case pleasing the public; never believe that you are the best and the only one in the world at performing an effect; never say that the game is of ... (name of a great professional) and that you have made at least 10 variations; possibly customize the effect that is proposed, especially if it is well known.

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RICHARD :

You are the only example of a teacher of prestige at the university level, for the preparation of some young missionaries, in the magical art at the Pontifical Urban College of Propaganda Fide.
I think your lessons will be very popular and really not boring. Can you tell us about it?

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RICCARDI :

One of the greatest moral satisfactions was when, having already completed 15 lessons, the Rector of the Pontifical Urban College of Propaganda Fide, instructed me to continue the lessons for another 3 years to priests who had to go as missionaries to Zambia, Zaire, etc ...

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RICHARD:

How much does it help a magician to be registered with an Italian magical association? What advantages can it derive from it?
Some point to the current difficulty that some magic circles have in retaining registered magicians.
It seems that the registrations are less and less and that for this reason there is a certain crisis. What are your thoughts on this?

RICCARDI :

I seem to have pointed out in answer n ° 4 that it is essential to participate in conferences and meetings as frequently as possible.
Unfortunately, it is a sore point that of registering and attending a magical association because very often the programs and conferences do not correspond to the real value required as a share from the associate.
It is therefore important to schedule valid meetings, to provide reasonable quotas, to give maximum availability to the members.

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RICHARD :

I would like you to present your books to us.

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RICCARDI :

I am the author of: DIVERTIRE MARAVIGLIANDO (general magic); ALL ABOUT ESP CARDS; CHINESE SHADOWS Vol. 1 and 2; HAND GYMNASTICS (currently being published in America); THE PRINTED MAKEUP BACK; about ten little books about my conferences held in various clubs on the Italian territory.

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RICHARD :

Who are the conjurers, Italian and non-Italian, who really make you or have made you live moments of great magic?

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RICCARDI :

These are all those names that I just mentioned when talking about my "magic showcase" ...

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RICHARD :

What has conjuring given you?

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RICCARDI :

Conjuring gave me the opportunity to survive and overcome 4 years of imprisonment during the war, allowing me to get basic necessities and foodstuffs that I have always shared with my fellow soldiers.

Perhaps it will intrigue you to know what kind of games I offered?

Boot lace cut and reassembled, manipulation with Coca-Cola caps and ping-pong balls ...

With conjuring, I have been awarded 21 national and international honors that have made me a citizen of the world.

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RICHARD :

A wish that he would like to fulfill with his magic wand.

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RICCARDI :

Bringing back, from the afterlife, all the magicians and illusionists who preceded us to organize the largest and only World Magic Gala, to be broadcast worldwide, with unlimited duration ... it would be truly magical !!!