Raj (see Wupradrishta)
Randi, James (Amazing) 1928
Birthplace: Toronto (Leaside) Ontario, Canada
Birth name: Randall James Hamilton Zwinge
Author of many books including, Houdini: His Life
& Art, The Truth About Uri Geller, and Flim - Flam,
James Randi is also a magician, escapologist,
psychic debunker, lecturer, amateur archaeologist,
amateur astronomer, radio host and writer of
articles, essays, book reviews and stories for many
magazines including The Skeptic and New York
James Randi, The Amazing Randi, or Randi,
has appeared on many television specials, talk
shows, documentaries, and variety productions
around the world. As a performer and lecturer, he
has done three world tours and has even
performed at the White House.
Considered to be one of the greatest living escape
artists, the Amazing Randi made headlines with his
outstanding escapes including escaping from a
straightjacket while suspended over Niagara Falls,
and duplicating Houdini's Milk Can Escape on
Randi was also thrust into the spotlight in 1970
when he debunked Uri Geller, an entertainer who
claimed supernatural powers, bending spoons and
moving objects while on national television shows.
Randi would go on to write, The Truth About Uri
Randi became a U.S. citizen in 1987 and was,
among other things, one of the founding fellows
of CSICOP, a none profit group for the
investigation of psychic phenomena.
In 1996, Randi founded the James Randi
Educational Foundation, located in Fort
Lauderdale Florida, a none profit foundation to
promote information and critical thinking about
paranormal and supernatural claims. A
$1,000,000.00 prize was made available from the
Foundation to anyone who was able to prove
psychic, supernatural or paranormal abilities of
any kind under scientific conditions.
James Randi's awards and honors include
speaking and lecturing awards, magical society
awards, scientific awards and even an honorary
degree, Doctor of Humane Letters. In fact, Randi
even has a planetoid named in his honor. Asteroid
3163/1981QMc now known as "Randi" c.
Ransom, Tom19--
Rawlings, Scott 1967
aka., (Steven Scott)
(b. March 25, 1967)
Birth Place: Windsor, Ontario
Designer of Illusions, The Decapitor
Teacher: Taught and managed many magicians including,
Jason Bryne.
Member I.B.M. Merlin Award
Member of the Windsor Magic Circle Ring 116
Star Seeker award from Norweigan Cruise Lines
Scott has done 4 Atlantic Canada Tours in the late 80's, and 7
years of the Muskoka Resort area early 90's. Produced and
instaled amusement park shows at CANADA'S
WONDERLAND, STORYBOOK GARDENS, SANTA'S
VILLAGE & BOBLO ISLAND THEME PARKS.
Performed at Commerce Casino, Caesars Windsor
President, Magic Enterprises Productions, Windsor, Ont.
Rayle, Marc-Andrea19--
Specializes as Close-up magician
Awards: 1998 won 1st place Alberta's Best of the Best
Reymond, Patrick19--
Robinson, Donald McPherson 1919 - 1997
(b.June 29, 1919 - d.May 2, 1997)
r. Victoria, British Columbia
I.B.M. #17135, member Order of Merlin
Charter and Lifetime member -
Moved to Victoria 1923 with parents
After war, worked for Robinson's Grocery,
Next 35 years worked for Royal Jubilee -
Hospital, accounting Dept.
Associated with Metropolitan-
United Church including Actimets -
Couples Club as President
Organized and MC'd many of Victoria-
Magic Circle events, public performances,-
Roch, Ray 1941
Member of the Canadian Association of Magicians, member
#918 The international Brotherhood of magicians, Ring #92 and
the Society of American magicians, Assembly #95.
Rays' introduction to Magic began as a young twenty- five year
old father of two children, Dianna and Janette. While living in
Winnipeg, Manitoba and managing an apartment building on
Gertrude Street, he came upon a rabbit roaming the halls and
followed it to an apartment where the owner resided. It turned
out the occupant, Terry Greenwood was a magician and the
rabbit was used in his show. Terry and Ray soon became friends
and Terry introduced Ray to sleight of hand magic with coins
and cards, which Ray soon became adept at, ultimately using
the sleights he learned in venues throughout the world. Terry
also introduced Ray to a magic club in Winnipeg named after
one of the originators of the International brotherhood of
magicians, Len Vintus. (The organization was founded February
10, 1922 in Winnipeg on floor 7 of the Union Bank Tower, by Len
Vintus (stage name of Melvin Justus Given McMullen) of
Transcona, Manitoba, Gene Gordon (aka Gordon Avery) of
Buffalo, New York, and Don Rogers (aka Ernest Schieldge)
Although it was officially known as the Len Vintus Ring #40 it
was fondly nicknamed, 'The Drinking Ring', a wonderful place
of camaraderie where great magicians of the era got together to
swap stories and magic. Over the years Ray continued to
practise the art of magic and over time, became quite proficient
at performing his act at a variety of venues. Here is a brief
synopsis of Rays' magical journey. Ray has performed magic for
over 40 years! His experience is rich and varied with
performances in venues from private parties; cruise ships, trade
shows and even fairs, festivals and rodeos. A highlight of Rays'
worldly travels was his performances close to the North Pole
while touring with the 'Frantic Follies Vaudeville Review', a
venue that included the isolated "DEW" line bases manned by
the Canadian Armed Forces during the cold war. It was these
Follies that influenced Ray to develop a character that he's used
extensively while performing at themed and corporate events ...
Flim-Flam Foolery. It's a depiction of an old time vaudevillian or
con man with a straw hat, baggy pants and spats, a wonderful
costume that brought Ray work simply because he was different,
very colorful and stood out in a crowd. It helped that Ray was
also performing the old 'Three Shell Game', which in itself, is a
novelty. Ray can still recall close-up venues where to gather a
crowd, all he had to do was place the shells and a pea on the
table. He didn't have to say a word . . . as soon as people saw the
shells they approached, eager to be bamboozled. It's a great
attention getter and fun to watch. Hence the act, Flim-Flam
Foolery was born. Rays' signature piece is his coin act. Ray has
performed a routine, called 'Easy Money' featuring dollar size
coins in his stage show for many years with great success.
Initially, he was told that the coins would be too hard to see.
However, with good lights and music, Ray has managed to
prove the naysayers wrong by entertaining at thousands of
venues with his original presentation of 'Easy Money'.
Performances at the famous "Magic Castle" in Hollywood, a
Mecca for magicians, along with recent appearances during the
illustrious 'Fechter's Finger Flicking Frolic' magic conference
held annually in New York, firmly established Ray as one of the
elite in magic and earned him a coveted "Masters Degree"! The
journey is not over; Ray constantly invents new routines and was
recently involved in a theatrical production at the Waterfront
Theatre in Vancouver B.C. called "The Vaudevillian
Rourke, Wallace L.19--
I.B.M. member since December 1970
Originally a member of Ring 17 Toronto
Specializes in rope magic
Rumball, Leonard---- -
Charter member IBM Ring 49, Hamilton
Russ, Norman A.1927 - 1998
I.B.M. # 22516, member Order of Merlin
