Ricardo Roucau (3 October 1936 – 30 October 2017) was a magician commonly known as Fantasio. Roucau became interested in magic at an early age after seeing

Fu Manchu Dr. Fu Manchu () is a supervillain who was introduced in a series of novels by the English author Sax Rohmer beginning shortly before World War I and continuing for another forty years. The character featured in cinema, television, radio, comic ...

perform in Argentina. Roucau previously performed as Ricardo and then as Larry, before being warned in 1961 by

John Scarne John Scarne (; March 4, 1903 – July 7, 1985) was an American magician and author who was particularly adept at playing card manipulation. He became known as an expert on cards and other games, and authored a number of popular books on cards, g ...

that the name would not work for a magician trying to make it in America. He also performed with his wife as 'Larry and Daisy'. Roucau adopted the name Fantasio after noticing it on a box of

playing card A playing card is a piece of specially prepared card stock, heavy paper, thin cardboard, plastic-coated paper, cotton-paper blend, or thin plastic that is marked with distinguishing motifs. Often the front (face) and back of each card has a fi ...

s. Roucau was known for his handling of walking sticks and lit candles, which he would make materialise during his act. Roucau was a prolific inventor, and

Mike Caveney Michael Douglas Caveney (born June 17, 1950) is an American magician, author, publisher, magic historian and collector. He is a life-member of the Magic Castle in Hollywood and a member of The Magic Circle of London. His work as a magician and ...

believes that Fantasio's appearing and disappearing props were at one point the most popular magic props in the world. Roucau performed at the

Desert Inn The Desert Inn, also known as the D.I., was a hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, which operated from April 24, 1950, to August 28, 2000. Designed by architect Hugh Taylor and interior design by Jac Lessman, it was the ...

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

, and the

Latin Quarter The Latin Quarter of Paris (french: Quartier latin, ) is an area in the 5th and the 6th arrondissements of Paris. It is situated on the left bank of the Seine, around the Sorbonne. Known for its student life, lively atmosphere, and bistros ...

and

Radio City Music Hall Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue and Theater (structure), theater at 1260 Sixth Avenue (Manhattan), Avenue of the Americas, within Rockefeller Center, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Nicknamed "The Showplac ...

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. He also appeared on ''

The Hollywood Palace ''The Hollywood Palace'' was an hour-long American television variety show that was broadcast weekly Saturday nights (except September 1967 to January 1968, when it was seen Monday nights) on ABC from January 4, 1964, to February 7, 1970. Title ...

'' and ''

The Ed Sullivan Show ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television program, television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York City, New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in Septembe ...

''. Roucau and his wife Monica won second place in General Magic at the 1979

Fédération Internationale des Sociétés Magiques The International Federation of Magic Societies (FISM) (Fédération Internationale des Sociétés Magiques) was founded on September 5th,1948 and is one of the most respected organizations in the magic community. It is an international body coor ...

(FISM) competition and Rocau won second place in Comedy Magic in the 1994 FISM competition. Fantasio was a lifetime member of Ring 45 and Assembly 280. In 2010, he was named Dean of Assembly 280.

Published books

* ''Magic with Canes and Candles'' (1970) * ''My Canes and Candles'' (1990)

References

1936 births 2017 deaths Argentine magicians People from Buenos Aires {{magic-stub