In 1945, Theo Hardeen, magician extraordinaire and the brother of Harry Houdini, died. Mr. Hardeen had acquired the secrets of the tricks from his brother and, before his death, passed them along to Sid Radner.
Sid Radner was an advisor to Walter B. Gibson on the 1946 release of The Bunco Book, which described the various con artists' means and methods of profiting from cheating. Whether it was carnival games, dice, cards, or other games of chance, the 96-page book was a guide to staying alert to the swindlers. Walter B. Gibson himself was a magician, having been a protege of the world-famous Blackstone.
5,000 bound books with a splashy cover showing dice, cards, and coins were printed by the Valley Litho Company of Holyoke. The thick paper front cover was produced by Holyoke's Marvellum Company.
From his younger years, when he moved from magical tricks to an escape artist, Sid Radner added gambling expert to his repertoire. During World War II, a major portion of his army career was spent in Military Intelligence, as a gambling investigator spotting bunco artists among soldiers who preyed on other soldiers for illicit financial gain. In effect, Mr. Radner's skill in identifying marked cards and spotting loaded dice was used to good effect.
In 1947, J. Edgar Hoover, then Director of the FBI, sent Sid Radner a letter of appreciation for the work he conducted during World War II in identifying card cheats. He had collaborated with the FBI in this mission.
Also in 1947, Mr. Radner was added to the staff of Conjourers Magazine, a publication originally founded in 1791 and resumed in 1905 by brothers Harry Houdini and Theo Hardeen.
Mr. Radner was sought after for giving lectures to various groups and professional assistance to law enforcement locally, and throughout the United States and Canada.
In 1952, he signed a 5-year television contract with a Boston producer, Larry Lasky. a former manager of the Victory Theater and protege of E. M. Lowe. The initial release was 3 television shows with 10 additional planned.
Citations:
Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; Springfield (Massachusetts) Republican; publication dates and pages are shown.
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