Pete, it just struck me that this is an opportunity to find out what events stand out in your mind as your proudest in magic???

And maybe something you wish you could change too??

Proudest moment? Well, early on it had to be winning the Grand Prid at the PCAM convention in Tumwater, Washington.

I had worked up a nine-minute act with some pretty original routining. Emile Clifton had directed and coached me, and we decided on 9-mintues because the limit was 10-minues, and they had a timer system set so a red light would come on at the 10-minute marke and if you were still on you were disquailified.

I'm working away and everything is going smoothe and getting good reactions, but then, about half way into the act, the guys backstage, who were setting up a haunted house with lots of threads, started to argue and shout at one another.

I was working "in one" (which is in front of the main curtain... and, as I said these guys were talking so loud the audience could hear them.

Seems they had lost track of where a thread was and they were saying, "WHERE IS IT?"... "IT'S THERE."... "NO, IT'S NOT."..."IS IT THERE?"... etc.

I stopped reach back to open the curtain and looked in and said, "THERE IT IS."

Well this stopped the show, the audience must have laughed for two-minutes!!

And... I went overtime... the red light came on and I still had about a minute of material left to do.

So, I went on and finished. And when I went to the award's banquet I was totally relaxed, wondering who the various winners were.

When the final award, The Grand Prix was to be given, the MC, Ernie Bryan, said, "Normally, when an act goes over the time limit they are disqualified, But it WASN'T HIS FAULT... the prize goes to Pete Biro.

You could have knocked me over with a feather.

Oh, "something I could change" ???

Well, it was a disaster of a show for me. Jay Marshall and I were booked by Roy Johnson to go over the England and perform at a convention he was booking in Leicester. We got there and there was a huge banner hung across the street with our names on it (DARN... wish I had taken a photo of that)... anyway the build-up was scary. And I was a little on the nervous side, but OK.

Comes the show, I'm all set and waiting behind the curtain for my introduction. Suddenly the MC spotted the Mayor in the audience and asked him to come on stage to say a few words.

The Mayor, after a brief welcome, says, "When I was a youngster, I used to do a bit of magic," and he brings out MY OPENING TRICK.

I can't believe this... the total coincidence... I PANIC... I run over to my case of stuff and grab another trick, one that I wasn't super-experienced with... the curtain opens and I start... and I BLOW IT... I GET LOST IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TRICK... I halucinate... I see my tongue float out of my mouth and dry up..."

I blow it, I don't recover.... I am totally embarrassed...

What would I have changed? My underwear? The trick HE DID?

I dunno...

But what I did, was on the way home I told myself that would never happen again, I would be better prepared for anything that might happen. I became a much better perform from that experience.

Two fantastic stories Pete. A book of these annecdotes would make for great reading. I wish you'd consider it.

As I menttioned, I just dug out a complete file of my little magazine attempt, "PETE'S LEAFLETS," and started to read them. I think a short-run, if I can afford it, might be fun to publish. There's some real history of the '70s in them.

It's not just the stories. It's your writing style and the way your personality comes through and the way you tell it that makes for great reading. So many magic writers try to sound so lofty and come off as sounding like they are smarter than the reader and take all the fun out of it, but not you, and I appreciate that.

Well I am smarter than the readers

Doggone... I got up and got so interested in this thread I forgot to take my medications... bye for now.

No doubt but you don't make an issue of it.

When I was working with Kozak in Pittsburgh we had a stage hand, I forget his name, but he and I hit it off and I really enjoyed his company over the months. One day we were talking and he, out of some frustration on his day gig, told me, "I don't need a college degree to get along, do you?" And I told him I had a bachelors degree from the podunk school I attended and it totally changed his attitude toward me. Truth is, I didn't need the degree to get along. I did it to make my family proud and happy. I wish I had answered differently. It was a pivotal experience.

I had to work from age 14 onward to help pay our family expenses. My grandfather had stolen my dad's savings and when they got home from quitting showbiz and retiring from it, they found out that all the monies my dad had sent home to be banked was spent. He had been splitting $1500 a week with his skating partner, which was a lot of money in the 1920s.

I was able to go to art classes at night, but that was it.

My uncle gave me a camera and that started me on my long time work as a photographer.

Do you remember what the Mayor's trick was???

Yes, but I'd rather not say

Oh Pete that's not fair id like to know what this trick was now, I got lost in your thread here to myself and infact almost burned my supper cause this was so interesting, now I think you should tell,,, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE.....lol.

Rick Anderson

Another friend and Holylwood photographer, Ralph Nelson, told me the same thing only his career started when his dad gave him a Rollei. Seems to be a common thread.

Ok, it was the Invisible Deck. I had a "different" presentation, but the Mayor killed it for me.

Oh I could only imagine Pete, guess this is where they say... that was a hard act to follow....LoL. So Pete did you find from this day on you were always more prepared, or is there other stories you like to tell us about.... umm,,, I'm listening,, your very interesting and since I read your first thread I been reading them all, now your even keeping me up at night reading and my wife keeps asking me if I'm going to bed yet,, LOL... she wouldn't understand....this is Pete Biro where reading about....

Rick Anderson

Rick: You gotta read faster

Pete,

You ARE smarter than the readers!

But you gotta admit, he don't flaunt it!!! I have known him for many years and he's basically a regular guy and a good person in spite of having massive amounts of smarts, talent, and basic good sense.

This is just an answer to answer this un-answered post.