Ron Wilson

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Ron Wilson

This is really less a story about "The Uncanny Scot" then it is a story about my recently departed grandmother. "Nana" as I called her was always proud of the fact that it was she who gave me my first magic set. She felt she gave me my start in magic. I thought it was my Dad who used to work in my Uncle Harry Kaufman's magic shop, but in any event, Nana used to brag about me to everyone . . . even famous people she met like Red Skelton, Marty Allen, Jackie Gleason, and yes, even Ron Wilson. And she always got me an autographed photo with a personal note.

One night, she saw Ron Wilson and a few other magicians on Tom Snyder's old late night show, "Tomorrow." They spoke about The Magic Castle. Something stuck in the back of my grandmother's mind, and she decided she would get me into the Castle because she knew it was a dream of mine.

She sat down and typed out a one-page letter to Ron Wilson c/o The Magic Castle, and she poured out her heart to him as only a loving Jewish grandmother can, and she told him of my talent and love of magic and my dream of going to see the Castle someday.

Ron wrote back, touched by her letter, and explained that I could not go to the Castle because I was too young, but he did include an autographed photo of himself for me. Nana had this way about her of getting autographs.

Once she and I were strolling around the Doubleday Bookstore in Manhattan, and bang, I walked straight into fading comic, Marty Allen ("Hello 'dere!"). Well, that's all Nana needed to see. A few weeks later, a picture arrived. How she found him is a mystery to me that Nana has taken to the grave.

Oh, yeah. Thanks for the picture, Ron.