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THE MAGIC SPOTLIGHT
Article 19 in a continuing series spotlighting
Ring 200 members and local magicians
Henry “Hank” Strasser
ERYX the Magician (AKA "Hank" Strasser)
Allegedly, I was born in a dove pan at Presbyterian Hospital, Newark, NJ on Friday the 13th 1939. As a youngster, I did shows in my back yard, between the clothesline sheets. I had one magic book and the pamphlet that came with a Christmas gift magic set that contained a dozen props or so. I had my father’s opera hat and a shower curtain cape that I had rescued from the garbage and had painted mystical images on. I had a table with a servante, that I had built from plans in Boy's Life.
The first magician that I had seen, was a guy that performed at the Orange YMCA. To this day, I can remember most of the tricks that he performed, but not his name. My mother dragged me to a variety show at the Newark Mosque to see a star classical violinist. On the bill was Al Flosso, the first big name magician I ever saw. "Stand up straight, boy!"
At the age of about 51, my son and I were waiting for my wife to finish shopping at the Cherry Hill Mall. We drifted into Rick Sapphire's magic shop. The demonstrator showed us a few Tenyo tricks which we bought. Chris used these to do his first show at the Fort Dix Lakeside Child Care Center. We did a lot of magic together after that.
I joined Philadelphia Ring 6, and S.A.M. Assembly 4. I co-founded SYM Assembly Y96 and SYM Y100. I also joined IBM 165, S.A.M. 181, M.A.E.S., the John McNicholas Roundtable, the Florida Magicians Association and, of course IBM and SAM Nationals. Currently I am President of SAM 181 in Hightstown, NJ and a Past President of SAM Assembly 4 of Philadelphia.
I've visited quite a number of magic club meetings around the country. I read a lot about magic. I have a fairly extensive magic library. I love and do all kinds of magic. I love magic conventions, magic shows, magic meetings and magic lectures. My favorite branch of magic is Mentalism. The real magic in magic is all the magical people you meet.
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