Richiardi Jr

Richiardi Jr. (often billed just as Richiardi), was the stage name of magician Aldo Izquierdo (24 November 1923 - 6 September 1985), who became infamous for dramatic and gory stage presentations of classic stage illusions.

Richiardi was the son of another professional magician, who used the stage name Richiardi the Great. He was Peruvian (although sometimes wrongly described as Brazilian or Argentinian). [cite web
url = http://www.futureofmagic.com/inspiration.htm
title = Inspiration
publisher = Dale Scott
accessdate = 2007-03-21] [cite web
url = http://www.mymagic.com/magichistory/magis/richiardi-jr/index.html
title = The Incredible World Of Magic & Illusion Showbill
publisher = Meir Yedid Magic (www.mymagic.com)
accessdate = 2007-03-21] Richiardi Jr made his name with a series of stage shows featuring versions of established illusions such as sawing through a woman. What made his shows distinctive was that he used fake blood and other techniques to give the impression that he really was cutting or maiming his assistants. In 1949, "Time" magazine noted that these shock tactics had made his act one of the top earning stage shows in New York. [citation
url = http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,799957,00.html
title = Really Fantastic
journal = Time magazine
date = 28 March 1949
accessdate = 2007-03-21] He continued performing in that city throughout his career, with shows such as "The Incredible World Of Magic & Illusion", which ran at The Village Gate in New York in 1978. [cite web
url = http://www.mymagic.com/magichistory/magis/richiardi-jr/index.html
title = The Incredible World Of Magic & Illusion Showbill
publisher = Meir Yedid Magic (www.mymagic.com)
accessdate = 2007-03-21] Richiardi is also credited with contributing the "floating kiddie car concept" to Doug Henning's successful New York show "Doug Henning & His World of Magic". [cite web
url = http://www.ibdb.com/production.asp?ID=4354
title = Doug Henning & His World of Magic
publisher = Internet Broadway Database
accessdate = 2007-03-21]

Richiardi made many television appearances, including 24 on the Ed Sullivan Show, the most appearances by any magician on that landmark series. [cite web
url = http://www.themollianus.nl/questions_and_answers.html
title = Magic history in short questions
publisher = The Mollianus (www.themollianus.nl)
accessdate = 2007-03-21] In the 70s he also starred in his own television show "Chamber of Horrors", which was introduced by Vincent Price.

On June 8 2007, Criss Angel stated on the "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" that Richiardi was one of his greatest influences.

References

Further reading

* citation
url = http://www.magicmagazine.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=2&sort=2d&page=5
title = The Century
journal = Magic Magazine
volume = 8
issue = 6
date = February 1999

External links

* [http://www.richiardijr.com www.richiardijr.com] - Photos and video of Richiardi Jr. Currently the same site as [http://www.magiaperuana.com Portal de la Magia Peruana]
* [http://www.magicpromotionclub.ch/Kurzbio%20R.htm Biography in German]
* [http://www.loulancaster.com/Richiardi.html Recollections of Richiardi] by Lou Lancaster
* [http://www.upiperu.com Union Peruana de Ilusionistas] Peruvian magicians' organisation - includes references to Richiardi.