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His family
life had changed as well. His mother remarried a wealthy banker, John
Bukalo, who would eventually move the family to New Jersey. Here, David’s
younger half-brother, Michael, was born. Due to his love for acting,
David would move back to New York on his own to attend a major drama
school, the Neighborhood Playhouse.
While struggling
to survive in New York City, David claimed to be lightheaded and sick.
His physician found nothing wrong with him after a thorough check-up.
Eerily, David gave the doctor the most haunting stare he could create,
and pulled two large bricks from his jacket pockets. He dropped the
heavy rocks to the floor, and the doctor’s jaw dropped in bewilderment.
His eyes widened in disbelief. He witnessed the most paranormal sight
he ever experienced. His patient levitated several inches off the floor,
until he was hovering a full foot in the air.
After seeing
how his magic could affect even extremely educated men of various professions,
David Blaine felt he could get somewhere with his talent. He wanted
to show his skill to the world with a new, gritty flavor and intrigue.
He wanted to display how his ability to create illusion could shock
real audiences in spontaneous places. As an actor, he wanted to play
the part of a real magician… the lone wolf, the man from afar,
the mysterious stranger.
The
Underground
“Nothing is too small to know, and nothing is too big to attempt.”
-William Van Home
Several
years later, David Blaine started to work in high-class restaurants
in Hell’s Kitchen in Manhattan. Here, he performed amazing magic
while serving tables and waiting on regular patrons. He watched as his
reputation grew and he began to earn several hundred dollars in tips
each night.
The combination
of tips and acclaim boosted Blaine’s confidence and he began socializing
with anyone he met. Before he knew it, his raw form of magic began to
attract famous personalities to the places he was employed in. His underground
reputation spread like wildfire among well-known celebrities like Robert
DeNiro, Sean Puffy Combs (Puff Daddy), and Leonardo DiCaprio –
and they began to stop by to witness his unique performances.
Quietly
dating stars like Fiona Apple, model Josie Maran and Madonna put him
in every gossip column of city magazines.
On one
occasion, he made a restaurant customer choose any card from a normal
deck and sign his name across its face. The man then sandwiched his
card between his palms as tightly as he could, as David showed a different
card on top of the pack. Without any suspicious moves or obvious sleight
of hand, the two cards instantly switched places. After the customer
left for home, he actually waited outside in the cold until David’s
night shift ended. He approached David to personally thank him for the
feeling the magic had given him.
Around
this time, Patrice White found out she had ovarian cancer. The woman
David loved and who had inspired David to take up magic at an early
age was dying. She refused to change her lifestyle in spite of the illness
but would continue supporting David through his goals and dreams to
become a successful entertainer. Her drive and ambition gradually stopped
cancerous tumors for a long period of time, but in 1994, she died at
the age of 48. Until her dying day, she donated to charity, helped the
poor, and lived a life of compassion and generosity.
Her son
David Blaine was devastated.
The death
of his mother would leave him feeling tremendous loss and yet produce
a driving will to succeed as an entertainer. Magic was always something
David shared with Patrice, and would remain a spiritual way to keep
in touch with her even after death. David began performing close-up
magic at private parties and overseas resorts, expanding his venue.
During this time, he met and became friends with other professional
magicians Paul Harris, Bill Kalush, and David Williamson, who would
all consult his future street magic projects.
Article
written by ellusionist
street magic training center.
Not affiliated with or endorsed by David Blaine. |
