Paul is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and his interest in magic started at age 10 when he saw a magician performing at a grade school assembly. Determined to figure out how the tricks were done he discovered books in the local library and from that time on magic was a part of his life. At age 16 Paul began taking informal lessons from Pittsburgh magician Ron Slanina and Paul became a student of serious sleight-of-hand magic. Other early influences on Paul’s magic included Eddie Fechter, owner of the Forks Hotel in Buffalo, NY and Eddie Tullock the pioneer of trade show magic, as we know it today. With Tullock’s encouragement Paul started his trade show performing career in 1975 and quickly became the youngest of a handful of the regulars on the trade show circuit, along with the likes of Eddie Tullock, Dick Ryan, Dick Stoner, Mike Rogers, Frank Garcia, Johnny Thompson, and Bud Dietrich. Today Paul Gertner continues to perform as a unique combination of magician, salesman and corporate presenter at trade shows and sales meeting around the world.
Paul Gertner has performed for more than 500 corporations in more than 20 different countries, has lectured at MIT and has been featured on the front page of the Wall Street Journal…twice. A guest three times on The Tonight Show Paul was the last magician Johnny invited to appear on the show before he retired. Paul has also appeared on NBC’s World’s Greatest Magic, HBO, That’s Incredible! And yes…even Mister Rogers Neighborhood. In 1998 he wrote and starred in the critically acclaimed one-man theatrical production “Paul Gertner-Ten Fingers.” This one-man show became the fastest selling play in City Theater’s history. Most recently Paul was invited as a featured performer at the Presidential Inauguration of President George W. Bush
Recognized by his peers as one of the finest sleight-of-hand magicians in the world today, his first place awards in international competitions in Las Vegas, Madrid and Miami confirms this status. Even David Copperfield has called upon Paul to consult on his TV specials. His original routines, the Cups and Balls with Steel Ball Bearings and the Ring on the Hourglass, have become classics of magic – leaving experts totally amazed. He is also an author of one of the fastest selling books in magic history, Paul Gertner: Steel & Silver, which has recently been released on DVD in a four-volume set.
MAJOR AWARDS
- 1st PRIZE – ACADEMY OF MAGICAL ARTS, HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA (Close-up magician of the Year)
- 1st PRIZE – ACADEMY OF MAGICAL ARTS, HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA (Lecturer of the Year)
- 1st PRIZE – FISM MAGIC CONGRESS, MADRID, SPAIN
- 1st PRIZE – $20,000 LAS VEGAS SLEIGHT-OF-HAND CHALLENGE
- 2nd PRIZE – GRAND PRIX OF WORLD MAGIC 78, TOKYO, JAPAN
- 1st PRIZE – SOCIETY OF AMERICAN MAGICIANS COMPETITION, CHICAGO
- 1st PRIZE – COLUMBUS MAGI-FEST STAGE COMPETITION, COLUMBUS
- 1st PRIZE – IBM INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION, MIAMI (Paul became the youngest magician too ever win this first prize award.)
NATIONAL TELEVISION
- CW Penn & Teller: Fool Us (Paul won)
- NBC The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson — 3 appearances
- NBC World’s Greatest Magic II
- ABC That’s Incredible! –2 appearances
- BBC TV The Magic Circle Show
- HBO Magic Moments
- Nippon TV International Magic Festival
- Nippon TV Grand Prix of World Magic
- PBS Mister Rogers Neighborhood