Subj: To all of my close friends out there in Magic/ Illusions & escapes from Manzini
Date: 10/24/04 7:02:05 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: MARMANZINI
To: DREAMSCOOT, AJP807, mrescape@juno.com, Rosabellhh, magicduo@cannonsgreatescapes.com, Crcmagic, rasa@womanthouartgod.com, JOEFOX@WGN.NET, freddiecee@webtv.net, booking@escapeguy.com, imsmagic@optonline.net, ScorpionProphet2, JFox@ReelResearch.com, stankramien@yahoo.com, Prestolady, glmay@sbcglobal.net, imccoll@sympac.com.au, NoGunsHier, Ozarks51, hetzer@gte.net, Houdini96, theatrerat@zigmont.com, Zigreb@hotmail.com, Zigmont@zigmont.com
File: Aerial escape.jpg (22741 bytes) DL Time (26400 bps): < 1 minute




Hi all of my friends. I just want to let you know the outcome of my very dangerous aerial escape stunt this afternnon at 12 noon.
We had all 3 TV networks attend to cover it. ABC/ NBC & CBS as well as some cabel staions. All the News media was there in cluding Assiciated Press and United Press Internations. or whatever ne name they may go by now.
I set the wholoe stuny up and had my ggod friend the Mayor of Columbia, Darwin Hindman, and also the Chief of police and some of his police officers, Ted Bohem the Boone County Sheriff and 3 deputies along with my close friend Circuit Judge Gary Oxenhandler & his wife and other special guests.
We started about 6 minutes late as we were asked to wait til one of the newspapers reporters arrived which he did.
We arranged the required permits and had this in the hugh parking lot of the Missouri Theatre Performing Arts Center where I will be performing my 2 hour stage show next Fri, Oct 29th.
The Sheriffs deputies brought out one of their prison style strait-jackets and strapped it on as tigt as possible. Next a pair of Peerless leg irons or arm shackles where locked tightly around my arms over the strait-jacet. Next came the nighmare that I was hoping I could avoid.
Police Officer Danny Grant took out a pair of his own personal Smith & Wesson Hinge Handcuffs and locked those very tightly over my wrists over the sleeves of the strait-jacket.
Next my ankles had my ankle cusions strapped on them by my assitants and the loops were tightened around my ankles over the cusions and the other ends where attached with hooks onto the loo[p on the end of the rope which was 8 feet long and made out of 1 inch hemp rope.
The center of the rope was saturated with gasoline. Then the last minute I wanted to add more danger to it so forced my assistants to pour half of the tank of gasoline on my body from the chest down to my ankles. In this was iwif & when parts of the rope burned off and fell down past me, there was the extra danger that they might ignite the gasolin that was saturated over my body.
My assistants thought that I had lost my mind but I made them do it. Paul Pepper the TVEM and the mayor were shocked as they also thought that I had lost my mind.
The rope was supplied and brought down from Westlake Hardware store. The crane I
was able to get from Scott Crane Rental of Holts Summit, MO.
At exactly 12;29 pm I was ready. I had my Catholic Priest there to pray over me and bless me and then my beautifuil new assistant Nicole light the torch and touched it to the center of the rope which ignited immediatly.
There was a hugh crowd of over 1,000 people lining the streets and all around the lot. They were all cheering me on. As I was quickly hosted up intotjhe air, I started to feel that I had made a big mistake taking on the SD & W Hinge cuffs also, so I immedaiy began getting out of both cuffs on the way up, so when I reahed 100 feet upside down, both sets of cuffs were off my arms & wrists and I dropped them to the ground with a large cheering from the crowd below.
I began escaping from the strait-jacket and once again I want to point out that this is now a Trick strait jacket as used by magicians and many other :"Escape Artists". Anyhow I escaped from the strait-jacket as burning pieces of rope where wizzing down around my body along with straks of extra gasoline that was on fire. I was touched on my chest and arms with falling fire on the way down but luckly none of it hit my sleevless jumpsuitr so I didn't catch on fire. Onlt my boots caught on fire, but was put out upon reaching the ground by my assistants.
Besides myself some of the top escape artists in the business are # 1 Norman Bigelow and Bill Shirk, followed by Dean Gunnerson & Steve Baker. We are all considered in the top 5 tope Escapologists in the entire world. There are many other good and very goood escape artists around that may have not mad a name for themself, but I want to wish them as well as my friends all the luck in the world.
Don't ever give up as we are all keeping alive the memory of our father HODINI and also keeping the art of Escapology alive.
I am making a big come back starting with this stunt as I have just gone through afamily crisis this past year that almost distroyed me and made me quit the business for good.
But thanks to Norm Bigelow, Joe Fox, Tony Parisi, Tom Carier,and many other of my Escapology friends and especially by daughter Divana, I have been able to hang in there to overcome everything and now I am back for good.
Anyhow, just want to se I amm waiting to see my close friend Norman Bigelow make a come back too. He's been going through a lot just like me, but he is so strong minded and great in escapes, I know that he will be planning something very big in the near future.
Steve Baker. Come on back in. we all miss you too. Plan a stunt and do something to bring your name back too.
Love you all. Let me hear from you when you can. after my show at the teatre for Halloween next fri, I am going back to planning some important projects that I have ready to put on the fire.
Take care.
Mario Manzini
P.S. If you want to see my new assistant Nicole. Check out her persoanl web site as she is a professional actress, model & dancer. http://www.onemodelplace.com click on the top left box model # 126020. She is beautiful. Ian McColl. Check her out as you asked me to see more photos of her. Go to it. Also my page on onemodeoplace.com is model # 100682

Is Reno Norman Bigelow or Mario Manzini ?

Don,
Reno's posts have always been from Norm Bigelow in the past. I read the above post as an email sent to Norm and many others from Mario. I could be wrong of course.
Ros

ps
Tony, could you pass on my congrats to Mario for what sounds like an awsome stunt. I like the use of the borrowed S&W cuffs. Did anyone here see it?

That sounds like a fabulous public demonstration.
It's good to see the big names like Manzini, Bigelow and Baker bouncing back after getting hit hard.
I wish them all the best.

Steve

Help! I desperately wanted to read an article or two or three about this and see pictures or video, but I can't find anything on the web. If anyone has seen something in the news, please post the link for all of us. There has got to be something out there, I'm just missing it. Not the most computer savy.

Reno is Norm Bigelow. The name is a tribute to Norm's mentor in escapes, "Pop Reno". Mario hardly ever posts on this board because he is always so busy but he always appreciates all the nice comments people make here. Norm is always nice enough to pass on any info about Mario because they are good friends from way back. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the escape stunt yesterday because I was unable to get the time off from work. I will be leaving New York this Thursday for Missouri, to assist Mario with his Houdini Tribute show on Friday. I will certainly relay everyone's regards, (especially you Ros )
I will also try to find out about any newspaper articles covering the stunt and the show. I'm almost positive that Mario video taped the stunt and I know positively that he will be taping the show this Friday. I know that he also has plans of releasing a series of tapes/DVDs sometime in the future. These will contain footage of some of the greatest moments in his nearly 40 year career. I'm sure the recent stunt and the upcoming Houdini show will be included in that series.
Best regards, Tony Parisi

Thanks Tony.

Have fun!

To Mario Manzini;

We miss you. We often tell the story in The Houdini Museum, of his attempting to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge while handcuffed, etc., and waiting for the police to stop you. Followed to the police station by a band of newspaper writers, getting a front page story in the biggest city in the world, without having to do the stunt. Never forget your great performances at our Magic Towne House in New York City.

Keep in touch. We cherrish the poster that you signed and gave to us.

Love from us both.

Dick Brooks and Dorothy Dietrich
Houdini Museum & "Haunted! Mind Mysteries and THE Beyond"
Scranton PA

Oh Wow. that sounded Awesome. If anyone can help. I would like to see the vid or pictures of this.

Well Done. *Wolflock tips his hat*

Regards
Wolflock