Heba Haba Al

I’ve known Bill Weimer for over 20 years. He is one of Chicago’s best magicians, although you may not ever heard of him. He doesn’t hang out too much in the magic community. He worked the New York Lounge and Schulien’s restaurant, among other places. At the New York Lounge, he worked a year with, perhaps, the original bartender magician Heba Haba Al. Now there are many stories about Al and Bill is collecting them along with a history of the New York Lounge for an upcoming book project.

One quote that may or may not end up in the book was when Heba explained to Bill the real work behind the Card under Glass trick. It shows how a canny old man can fool the pants off even the best magicians.

One night Heba said, “The real secret behind the Card under Glass is to bring your own glass.”

Think about it. Do you know why?