Peter: thanks for clearing that up. We were aware that he had joined your lodge but that’s all we know. Gustave Fasola was good friends with a very popular magician in the US named Howard Thurston. They traded tricks among a group of magicians at the time or bought them from each other if a trade could not be made. Thurston traded his Coconut Trick for Fasola’s Lady and the Lion Trick among others. Thurston wrote Fasola: Remember, Gus, that you and I are two best friends possible for two magicians to be, and that we have given our word to assist each other to the best extent and not to hold back any secrets. Thurston was not as creative and relied on other magicians including Fasola for new tricks which he would then copyright.
Unfortunately, Thurston lost patience with Fasola after Fasola sent him reminders of how he depended on Thurston’s material and professional help. This in spite of the fact that Thurston got some of his best tricks from Fasola. Fasola had been touring small cities in the US with his own illusion show gaining a following and wanting to return to England. He expected to tour England with both his own and Thurstons illusions and he became very excited about working out the show with Thurston as Thurston had promised him exclusive use of his tricks in Europe. However, in the meantime while Fasola was touring Australia and New Zealand, the variety entertainment business in England had virtually disappeared. Also, Thurston had taken up a partnership with another magician in South America named Dante. Dante undermined Fasola’s friendship with Thurston and moved his show to Europe from South America and convinced Thurston not to allow Fasola to use any of Thurston’s tricks. The combination of the poor state of the business in England and the loss of the use of Thurston’s tricks destituted Fasola and sent him into a depression which led to his suicide.
We got most of our information from a book titled The Last Greatest Magician in the World by Jim Steinmeyer. You may be able to find it in your local library. It makes for very interesting reading.
