In my early years in magic I met a kind, soft-spoken man named Harry Monti. He and his wonderful wife, Trudy, were staples of the local SAM Assembly in St. Louis. Harry had an elegant warmth about him and quickly welcomed me to the local magic scene, as he had so many others. At our meetings Harry enjoyed watching all the members perform and always did so with an experienced performer’s understanding. If he could help someone improve he would always share his thoughts and knowledge. This approach led him to mentor incredibly talented individuals like Chris Kenner, Chris Korn, Chris Rayman, and Jonathan Levit, to name just a few. You will no doubt know how good these magicians are—they all carry a little magical knowledge and history from Harry.
Harry’s gentle approach and classical style made him a welcome performer at many venues. He performed annually at The Magic Castle since it first opened, a record run of 53 consecutive annual performances that may never be broken. In fact, when Harry married Trudy they spent their honeymoon at The Castle. Of course that meant that Harry’s work was seen by Dai Vernon, who mentioned Harry as a great example to learn from and mentioned his name many times in the columns he wrote for this very magazine. For example, Dai commented that Harry had an ingratiating manner and said that he was the only act that played at The Castle whose moves he could not criticize. He explained that Harry’s sleights were so good he performed them without any telegraphing whatsoever, something that other magicians could learn from him.
At magic conventions a simple walk to the dealers’ room that would take most people just a few minutes took Harry much longer. This was because he would stop and talk with everyone he knew, and he seemed to know everyone. Harry was also one of the founders of Rings-N-Things Magic, where his background in engineering allowed him to apply his knowledge to the production of high-quality props for magicians. He designed the Monti range of cups, which are in use all over the world and which Francis Carlyle described as “the best.” He also produced a line of handmade LePaul and Himber leather products that found widespread popularity, so much so that demand outstripped his physical ability to manufacture more stock. Rings-N-Things is still in business today.
Harry became national president of the SAM in 1999. This was a role he loved, and he spent the year traveling to Assemblies throughout the country, lecturing, performing, and sharing magic in any way he could. During this period Harry also created a special Assembly to help those with special needs learn magic, and the life skills it supports. He even enlisted Lance Burton to help promote the program and to make videos to teach the members of this special Assembly.
Outside his interest in magic, Harry was a speed skater, a trapeze artist, an escape artist, and more. He organized the Midwest Magic Jubilee for 15 years, a period during which the convention was at its best, and during that period every major name in magic came to the Jubilee. No convention had more lectures, shows, or performers than Harry’s events, and Dai Vernon referred to it as his favorite convention. At one point Harry even opened a magic shop, called Monti’s Magic, at St. Louis Union Station.
Harry was a regular fixture at SAM national conventions, Fechter’s Finger Flicking Frolic, the Desert Seminar, and MAGIC Live, where he would see his many friends in magic, until his health made it impossible for him to travel. Harry had a great impact on magic, though his modesty meant that many never truly realized all his accomplishments. We will all miss him. He was one of a kind and the magic world must now make do with nothing more than the memories he leaves behind—but what amazing memories they are.