That was in Austria on Austrian television sometime between 1982 and 1985. I don't know which year that was exactly.


Darko

Just when you thought you’ve seen nearly everything David Roth, up pops something really special. 😊 And that he is showcasing the first two tricks here, (that he much later put into a set as a Royal Crown download at a great price) that I’ve been recommending to people for years & years now, well it just validates why they are classics and why I found them to be such a great value. He did them all throughout his life and they have withstood the test of time.

Thanks for posting this, my friend. You can never have enough Roth, every step of the man is worth watching, again & again. 😉

Smooth and very magical

I see that Roth's Winged Silver and Chink-a-Chink were set in stone early on. They sure are beautiful pieces of work. His One-Coin Routine, though, evolved from that early performance. He added a lapel ruse and a Spider Vanish. [I've been doing his routine for the last 20+ years (at my own pace and in my own style, of course).]

In 1970, magicians used to meet on Saturdays at a Horn & Hardart automat restaurant in mid-town Manhattan. (It appears that this was before the deli others were talking about in this thread, unless I'm mixing things up.) Someone told me that Roth used to perform there--at one of the tables, I guess. It was a fairly large restaurant. For those who don't know, an automat was a restaurant where the food was displayed behind little glass doors. You inserted a nickel or a dime, say (yes, things were quite a bit cheaper back then), and then you opened the door to remove the food--a sandwich, a piece of pie, a soda, etc.

Many of the "big guys" used to go there (such as Harry Lorayne). They had their own tables--large round tables--which were bordered by seated magicians, and those standing behind them, anxious to see and learn from the greats. At least, that's how I remember it. I was not one of the "in-crowd," and so I never had a seat at any tables. [Although I did meet Francis Carlyle there. He was seated by himself; no one was paying any attention to him. I saw an opportunity and grabbed it. I studied with him for a couple of months before I dropped out of magic (for a while) and he left for California.]

Roth would have been only 18 at the time. I don't remember seeing him and, of course, wouldn't have recognized him if I did. I don't know anything about when he appeared on the magic scene, whether he started out performing for laypeople or became known among magicians first.

I met a magician, Bob Elliot (not Bruce Elliot, the author), at Ronjo's on Long Island in the 1990s. He told me that both Roth and Darwin Ortiz had been proteges of his as teenagers. Anybody know if there is any truth to this? I attended an Ortiz lecture in New York in the 1990s where Roth was also in attendance, so it seems they might have known each other.

Just some thoughts.

Hi Ray, Regina, David's manager/friend, dates this video back to 1982 when he was 29 (shaved off the beard when he turned 30). Yes, magicians met in the Governor's Caféteria back then. David and Pat Cook met Darwin there, and the three became fast friends. Bob Elliott was a magician who taught Harry Lorrayne's memory course for a while, and was good friends with David (and myself). In fact, he was the person who kind of introduced me to David when I was around 18, by telling me to go watch David at Tannens after I showed Bob a few coin things which I botched. He was a mentor to all the young guys on the NY scene. His wife Happy worked at Bear Stearns, and that is how I got to know Alan "Ace" Greenberg, CEO and magic enthusiast. David was friends with Ace as well. In the 90s and beyond we used to go to Alan's apt. right on 5th ave. a few times a year for a special catered buffet dinner. Bob Elliott was there as well, including Eric DeCamps, Steve Cohen, Michael Chaut, Mark Mitton, Gerry Deutch, Meir Yedid, Herb Zarrow, David Blaine, Bill Kalush, and several more.

Bob helped a lot of the new guys on their way, getting lectures booked. When Bob called and said you have to hire so and so, it was always a win.

Thanks for that video DJ, it was nice seeing David perform without an obnoxious host taking over.

Thanks Michael R. for that fascinating bit of history. I wish I could have been there at one of those 5th Avenue dinners. Wow.

Thanks Tom G. too.

I received this clarification from Jonathan Townsend: "The Automat was for a while in the early 1970s. Then the group got permission to use the back room of The Governor Caféteria, thanks to Murry Selwit. A few years later the group moved to Dosanko's then settled into Reuben's Deli for about a decade."

When you said "Governor's Caféteria," I wasn't sure if it was the same place as the Horn and Hardart automat I had been going to in 1970, which, it seems, it wasn't. The automat preceded the Governor's Caféteria.

I guess this establishes the fact that I'm older than you, Michael. I was 20 in 1970. You were ...? Roth would have been about 18, which is why I was wondering if he partook in any of those sessions at the automat. I was wondering how far back he goes.

Thank you Jonathan Townsend.

In 1970 I was 14. I got Bobo at 15, and I was in that automat which I thought was Governors (still think they had the automat inside). Met Roth at Tannens probably in 74, took my Dad there (again, thought it was the Governors) in 75 and I will never forget that I watched Roth perform his coins across using deep back clip to get two ahead which was the most amazing thing with coins I had ever seen at the time. I finally got to know David as a friend around 1982 right after Coinmagic was out at Reubens when I sat down with Roth, Latta, and Kaufman and showed some magic. David then invited me to his apt. for a session, where he sat and watched while I performed. I guess I passed the test, because we became friends for life. Reubens was a fantastic mecca for NY magicians. In addition to the guys I mentioned there was Townsend, David Regal, Eric DeCamps, Carl Mellish, Gene Maze, Harry Lorrayne, Ken Krenzel, Sol Stone, Gerry Deutch, Meir Yedid, Bob McCallister, and so many other guys whose names escape me right now. Probably Peter Samelson, Jeff Moche, Peter Kousegan and Mike Gallo while he lived in NY were also there.All the people in the Coinmagic book would go as well.
The Greenberg dinners were a special treat. We wouod wait in the lobby or outside, at at precisely 7 pm we took an elevator to his apartment, and I mean when the door opened it was into his apartment. He had two living rooms, and in one was a bar with a bartender, and all sorts of great cheeses. We would all hang out and talk and show each other magic. I forgot to mention that Simon Lovell would also be there, as he was living in NY at the time. Visiting magicians like Shoot Ogowa and Apollo would occasionally pop in as well. Soon we would go to the main dining room for dinner. Alan had a family dining room, and the big one where he would entertain people like the president of Israel. In one corner was an amazing spread of cold cuts, cheeses, and breads. We would get that buffet style. I ended up always sitting next to Roth and Steve Cohen. Two butlers served drinks and desserts. After that, Alan would announce that dinner was over and we all left at the same time. I would drive David home before heading back up to where I lived in Riverdale. Meir always took Zarrow home. I was out of magic for most of the 90s, and David and these dinners were my only connections to magic at the time.

More great history. Thank you, Michael.

Just a personal note: I said above that I dropped out of magic after studying a couple of months with Francis Carlyle. Actually, I had met a couple a rich dudes at a club I was working at who took me to their summer home in the Hamptons for a month. It was then I lost touch with Francis, who I think might have gone to California at that time. I continued to perform for another year, culminating in two months at the Electric Circus, which was attempting to make a comeback, having lost much business because of a murder that had taken place there. It was a trial by fire, and it was then, after a couple of more shows, I dropped out of magic for a while.

When in the 1980s I was gradually getting back into magic, I went to Tannen's to buy CoinMagic by Richard Kaufman, but was told it was out of print. This was a shocker and a great disappointment. Tony Spina recommended as a replacement David Roth's Expert Coin Magic, also by Kaufman. I didn't know who David Roth was, but bought the book anyway on Tony's recommendation.

When I got home and began to read it, I was amazed at all the clever and really great magic between its covers. It was an amazing experience, and I've been a fan of Roth ever since.

And thank you, Ray for reminding me…

Tony Spina was the guy behind the counter at Tannen’s I enjoyed the most as a youngster going there on Saturday mornings. He always took the time to show me a variety of closeup stuff, and would invariably throw a little extra in the bag to help keep me encouraged. He was a great guy, and I can remember when he would show off the Zombie Floating Ball trick…Man, he could really do that one. 😊

And I think it was about where he used to always stand, right over the glassed showcase of trick coins, that might’ve subconsciously led me to my love of coin magic. 😁 Man, those were the days.

Sharing this post on Facebook from Ivor Martin Pugh:

"Hi everyone, seasons greetings,

I have a request, but first I might need to give a little background information

A few years back I took lessons from David Roth online via Conjuring Arts. David took me as a complete beginner magic to a competent coin magician.

Every Thursday morning for a year I got up very earlyto take a lesson.

As we come to the first anniversary of his death, I want to give something back to David.

So I am organizing the first annual “Do a coin trick for David” on January 15th and have as many coin magicians around the world post a video online with the same hashtag –(hashtag ) doacointrickfordavid2022- so they can be found easily?

I think it would be a really good tribute to the man to had the greatest influence on coin magic. It will also a good way to promote coin magic as well as fun to do.

Will you join me in remembering David Roth on January 15th?"

I promised to keep David's memory alive, so count me in.

Hard to believe a year has passed since I started this thread of anecdotes about David. Wow. Really went by fast.

As the one year anniversary of David's untimely death approaches, I went back and re-read this thread with all of the wonderful stories and memories. It made me both sad remembering that horrible evening when David was found, and happy that so many GOOD memories of his life and magic have been preserved. I noticed that some of David's magic products put out by Meir Yedid are listed here, but not all. In addition to the Eraser Coin and The Portable Hole, Meir put out Roth's coin box (either the slot box or set), a download of his shelled coins across with the beautiful Japanese coin set, and more soon to come out.

Coming up with a few more anecdotes about David. He once told me he "practiced on his cat", and went on to explain that when one of his cats was resting on his lap, that he'd practice HPC ON the cat, like using the cat for a mat. I just remembered that story. So, how to develop a light touch on your HPC. He didn't tell me which cat it was.

It was Malini (Max).

Ha. I have a few more anecdotes for next week.