Remembering Al Flosso: The Coney Island Fakir Was Born on October 10

 October 10, 2026, marks 131 years since the birth of Al Flosso, the comedy magician remembered as the Coney Island Fakir. His career connected the worlds of carnival entertainment, television and New York’s magic shops. 

Born Albert Levinson in Brooklyn on October 10, 1895, Flosso took his stage name from “floss,” a term associated with cotton candy. It was a fitting choice for a performer whose early career included Coney Island’s lively entertainment scene.

Flosso worked in circuses, carnivals and vaudeville, developing his skills in places where performers had to earn an audience’s attention. His talents also included Punch and Judy puppetry, adding another form of entertainment to his repertoire. 

He became especially associated with the Miser’s Dream, the classic effect in which a magician produces coins from thin air and drops them into a bucket. The visible appearance of each coin, followed by its unmistakable clang, gives the audience both something to see and something to hear. It is a wonderfully direct piece of magic, with room for comedy and personality throughout the performance.

Flosso’s career also reached television viewers through appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show and The Steve Allen Show. His work carried a tradition rooted in live variety entertainment into a new medium. T

Away from the stage, Flosso played a significant role in New York’s magic community. In 1939, he purchased Martinka & Co., a magic business that had previously been owned by Harry Houdini. Known as Flosso-Hornmann Magic, the shop became a gathering place for magicians as well as a source of props and supplies.

That part of his career deserves remembering alongside his performances. A magic shop can be where a beginner first meets an experienced performer, discovers a new effect or finds encouragement to keep practicing.

Flosso died on May 13, 1976, and his son Jack continued the business. On his birthday anniversary, his legacy invites another look at a performer who made a classic coin effect his calling card and helped give New York magicians a place to connect.