Artist. Magician. Muse. Miracles flowerd from his fingertips -- effortlessly. The source of his secrets: the underbelly of gamblers and hustlers that roamed back-room dens of iniquity, jail cells and city streets of America. Vernon sought them out, befriended them and made their work his. This book traces the first half of his remarkable journey -- through Ottawa, Coney Island, Manhattan, Chicago, Havana, Kansas City, Colorado Springs. And the celebrities -- Houdini, Billy Rose and Roosevelt that Vernon encountered along the way.

This biography also details the evolution of magic in the 20th Century. From the stages of London and Paris to the backrooms of magic emporiums where secrets were bought and sold, Vernon's life and work escort the read through vaudeville, Broadway theatres, grand magic spectaculars, New York nightspots and the dawn of television. At last, the cornerstone of the craft has been unveiled for all to see.