Al Flosso

Who was Al Flosso?

Albert Levinson was a Jewish American magician and entertainer, better known by his stage name Al Flosso.

Levinson was born in Brooklyn, New York, and took his stage name from a vernacular or slang term for cotton candy: "floss".

Originally performing primarily in Vaudeville and at Coney Island, he was noted among his peers for perfecting the "Miser's Dream" illusion of producing numerous coins out of thin air and dropping them with a loud clang into a bucket. Later, he appeared on a number of early TV shows, such as "The Ed Sullivan Show" where he was the first magician invited and appeared many times, the "Toast of the Town", and "The Steve Allen Show", among others. He also appeared in several films, including the 1931 Marx Brothers film "Monkey Business".

"Al Flosso grew to be a legend in Magic. Of The Coney Island Fakir world famous entertainer Joseph Dunninger said, "If there is a better all round magician I have yet to discover him!" Although only 5' 2" tall Flosso became a giant to his audiences as he honed his act in the tough carnival world of Coney Island. Flosso was also a master Punch and Judy worker and can be seen in the movie 'A Night at The Opera' starring the Marx Brothers. Al was at home on any stage however big or small and in 1973 became Magician of the Year after an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. At his funeral Dr. Arnold Boston said, "From ten performances a day on the platforms of Luna Park and Dreamland to numerous appearances on national television, he never gave a bad show." from Fantasma Magic