(Click on the image to listen and watch the interview and slide show of Jimmy Grippo)
THE JIMMY GRIPPO STORY
The following are some notes from my future book. It will no doubt be very interesting and a best seller:
First of all, I am a magician and hypnotist. During my lifetime, I have come in contact with high society, average people, mobsters, the New York crowd etc. You might say I have seen it all.
Presently I perform at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. It gives me a chance to meet some of the most interesting people in the world. Here are just a few brief notes.......
1. Some Japanese businessmen were so amazed with my performance,
they requested an x-ray of my person to prove that I don't use
mechanical equipment. I obliged, and nothing was found.
2. While entertaining at President Roosevelt's home in Hyde Park,
I suggested that he use "fireside chats". There wasn't television
at the time, and he wanted a way to reach the public more often.
Looking at the fireside at his home, I suggested fireside chats.
He was so impressed, he adopted the slogan in all his national
radio broadcasts.
3. I hypnotised Walter Winchell every Sunday night for his famous
broadcasts, "Mr. and Mrs. America and all the ships at see". His
stomach would swell up from nerves and hypnosis kept him calm and
reassured. Winchell would meet me every night at midnight to make
the rounds at all the New York late night hangouts to gather
information for his daily newspaper column.
4. The police threatened to arrest me for obstructing traffic on
Broadway in New York.
5. Penny, a beautiful Latin Quarter showgirl, and the handcuff
incident.
6. The story of "Fat Tony Balone".
7. My friendship with boxing promoter Jim Norris and his daughter.
8. My competition with "Evil Eye" Finkel.
9. Tony Galanto at Joe Williams home, the editor of the World
Telegram.
10. Fidel Castro and me, a very interesting account of my
performance, and he calling me, "Diablo".
11. Mobster Petie Redshirt.
12. Jack Soloman from London, he was a famous boxing promoter.
13. Dr. Kramer turned out to be one of the most famous docters in
South Africa through hypnosis.
14. Tom McGinty and his famous casino the Mounds Club, outside of
Cleveland. His casino was a beautiful as any Las Vegas casino. All
gaming stopped, while McGinty made me perform for his sharp
dealers and bosses.
15. The night McGinty's casino was robbed by 11 men with machine
guns, robbing the casino and the patrons.
16. Ray Arcel and "Battling" Norfolk.
17. Jacob Rupert, the beer baron and the half dollar trick that
earned me $100,000, to teach his sales force.
18. Cleo Shans and Freddy Summers.
19. Nino Valdez and Bobby Gleason.
20. Mobster Willie Moretti, the real "Godfather", a great story.
21. Swifty Morgan and some great inside stories.
22. Frank Costello's party and in a secluded road house guarded by
machine guns. Numerous bigwigs and movie stars were present.
23. Jimmy Hoffa and the hotel he was going to build for me in Las
Vegas. The last four hours before he vanished.
24. Joe Adonis, the mobster, a long story.
25. Lindy's restaurant and all the characters that hung out
there.
26. My experience with Onassis, and his million dollar ring.
27. The story with B. S. Pully.
28. Performing for boxing champ Rocky Graziano, in the nude
because the "boys" though that I had phony gimmicks up my sleeve,
or having false pockets.
29. Ali and Spinks.
30. The police arrested the bookmakers at Duke's Restaurant, Piggy
Lynch saved me from the rap.
31. The card game with Joe Adonis at Duke's Restaurant and how I
beat a mob guy out of $60,000, then returned it just to prove a
point.
32. The Brooke Club and Mr. Sinclaire in Miami Beach.
33. Carol Chaning, hypnosis and losing weight. Evon Adair was also
there.
34. Angelo Dundee and hypnosis.
35. Floating crap games in Lodi, New Jersey with Morretti and
Adonis.
36. Elsa Maxwell's parties and my exclusive entertainment.
37. The famous Conover Agency and Mr. Conover's beautiful girls.
38. Davie Giger and the "21" Club.
39. Johnny Brodick.
40. Why James Forrestal committed suicide. He was the Secretary of
Defense.
41. Bobby Thorne washed off one battleship onto another during
WWII.
42. King of Siam and his eye condition, we became great friends.
How Yul Brenner consulted me in playing the lead in the King and
I.
43. I put London TV viewers in a trance, and how I corrected the
situation.
44. The Sha of Iran, and how I gave him a command performance in
his palace three times.
45. My command performances for King George of England.
46. Winston Churchill and Anthony Eden.
47. Winchell predicting a killing of a mobster the day before.
48. The story of Damon Runyon.
49. Morretti's mob influence in New Jersey.
50. Sam Giancanna at Frank Sinatra's party.
51. Morretti's death and Johnny Roberts.
52. Jim Kelly, the self appointed mayor of the eastside.
53. The incident when two card cheaters tied me up and threatened
to throw me into a lake.
54. Owney Madden and the mayor of New York, a great story.
55. Madden's desire to take over my fighter Melio Bettina.
56. Frenchy Damane and Owney Madden.
57. Griffith and Parit, a title fight.
58. State Police Chief, at Fiskill, New York.
59. McGinty and the Desert Inn Hotel.
60. McGinty's fear of flying.
61. Lou Costello, his wife, and how I avoided a problem for them.
62. James Farley, how he remembered names, he was a campaign
manager for Roosevelt.
63. Boxing commissioner Brown, Gen. Phelan and Mike Jacobs, and
Donovan the referee controlled the boxing game.
64. President Truman and the Buleback Hotel in Kansas City. The
Pendergast machine.
65. Joe Gould, Jim Braddock's manager controlled by Madden.
66. Billy Rose, the diamond horseshoe and the vanishing birdcages.
67. Fat Tony Salerno and the Scopitone machine.
68. Dave Feld in Al King in Cleveland.
69. Max Baer and Encil Hoffman.
70. Jimmy Johnson and Joe Gould manuevering for the title.
71. Why Bugsy Siegal was killed.
72. Jonny Roselli and Las Vegas and Hollywood.
73. Meyer Lansky.
74. Anastasia and the boys.
75. Tony and the Village Club with Pearl Bailey.
76. George Raft.
77. The dinner party with gourmet cook Joe Adonis and Meyer
Lansky.
78. Phyllis McGuie and Sam Moony
79. Roberta Sherwood.
80. George Raft, dancing and Owney Madden.
81. Sam Moony
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