Leon Mandrake

At 81 years old, Leon Mandrake physical status not available right now. We will update Leon Mandrake's height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, and measurements.

Leon Giglio (April 11, 1911-January 27, 1993), better known by his stage name Leon Mandrake, an Italian-Canadian magician, mentalist, illusionist, ventriloquist, and stunt performer known as Mandrake the Magician, although not related to the comic strip character Mandrake the Magician.

Early life

Mandrake, a native of Washington, was six years old when his mother took him to New Westminster, British Columbia, to live with his aunt Mildred. He followed magicians at the local Edison Theatre and attended circus performances at the Pacific National Exhibition as an infant. When they first arrived in town, he studied the great vaindeville magicians. He was given the props and costumes of a magician who had left the show one year ago. He soon learned how to perform magic acts from some of the best of the time, including Howard Thurston, Alexander (The Man Who Knows), Chefalo, Doc Verge, Ralph Richards (The Wizard) and Bannister. He began his magical career in 1922, when he was 11 years old in New Westminster, British Columbia, giving vaudeville performances. He appeared on the stage as one of the Edison Theater in New Westminster's vaindeville performances. He appeared at the Moyer's Carnival for the Pacific National Exhibition in 1925, at the age of 14 years old. He had already learned fire-eating, mind-reading, and ventriloquism by this time. In 1927, he was in charge of the Ralph Richards touring magic show for six months, travelling around North America until the tour came to a stop in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He began traveling with his own magic show by the 1930s.

Personal life

Mandrake was married twice, both to his chief on-stage assistants. He married Narda in 1939 (Princess Narda). Princess Narda appeared in the Mandrake the Magician comics of the time. Leon also lost his main assistant when his first marriage ended in 1946. Bernard Abrams, Leon Mandrake's boss, paired him with Louise Salerno, who was an actor, line-dancer, and former assistant to well-known magician Blackstone in December 1946. Velvet, Leon's stage name, was given to her, and she became his new assistant. Betty and Frank Salerno, a young girl from Vainville, was familiar with Leon's new 20-year-old assistant, who spent time on the road with her parents, Betty and Frank Salerno. Velvet and Leon were married after two weeks on the road together. It was a small marital event, and they were back on stage just two hours later, opening the first of two acts for the evening. They honed a two-hour magic show for nightclubs in the 1940s and 1950s. Lon, Ron, Kimball, and Geelia were among the four children who were born on the road. Lon in Illinois, Ron in Florida, Kimball in Ohio, and Geelia in Oregon. They moved the children to Vancouver B.C., Canada, in 1958, shortly after Geelia was born. When Leon and Velvet began to travel, the children often stayed with a nanny.

Last show & later life

In 1985, Mandrake appeared at the Chocolate Festival in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, bringing an end to his 62-year career in show business. He died of emphysema at Surrey Memorial Hospital on January 27, 1993. At the old Edison Theater in New Westminster, now the Paramount Theatre, Mandrake's first home as a child magician, there was a wake.

Mandrake's home from his death, located on the corner of Grosvenor Road and Kindersley Drive in Surrey, British Columbia, was engulfed and burned, displacing many homeless people. The old, abandoned home was considered a heritage site by Surrey's city council, but it was also being considered for heritage status as recently as May 2015. Lon Mandrake's son Lon has said that during his youth the house had secret rooms and passages.

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