Bruce Cervon

They were married at the courthouse in San Francisco. They lived in Hollywood near the Magic Castle and the Farmers Market until 1992, when they moved to San Buenaventura, California just far enough to be away from the heat and smog of LA, but close enough for Bruce to continue his deep connection and love for the Magic Castle. They had a daughter, Marcella Alice, born in 1976, and a granddaughter, Eloise Eve, born in 2000. Bruce also had a daughter from his first marriage, Kellie Marie, born in 1969.

Friction began to develop between Cervon and Jennings in the early 1970s as Vernon pitted the men against each other, separately challenging them to devise methods for effects, and suggesting the other had developed a better handling. However, in the 1980s their relationship improved, and they worked together on some of The Vernon Chronicles series. Cervon also spent much time discussing magic and developing close friendships with Dai Vernon, Jim Patton, and Mike Perovich.

Cervon understood the importance of audience management as well as technical skills, and his performances were often praised by his peers. He was nominated seven times for "Best Close-up Performer" and won it twice. In 1970 he did a cross-country lecture tour (accompanied on the first leg by Dai Vernon) for which he won "Best Lecturer"; and in 2000 he was honored with the "Performing Fellowship", the highest Academy of Magical Arts award a performer can receive. Dai Vernon himself praised Cervon, saying, "I would place him right at the top with the other 'greats' in magic."

Cervon appeared on TV shows between the 1970s and 1990s, including The Mike Douglas Show, The Merv Griffin Show, That's Incredible!, The Jeffersons, Family Ties, Magic Palace and others. He also consulted or performed in many commercials, including for Pontiac, Bank of America, Continental Airlines, Pepsi-Cola, Shell Oil, and Rolf's Wallets.

Cervon was well known for his admiration for Dai Vernon, saying on one occasion "I've been the number one Vernon fan since I was a young boy", and for his careful recording of everything he learned with Dai Vernon at The Magic Castle. His notes grew to fill thirteen binders, and became known as the legendary "Castle Notebooks." Later with Dai Vernon's permission the "Castle Notebooks" aided in the creation of "The Vernon Chronicles." The Notebooks themselves were posthumously published in five volumes. Cervon was also instrumental in the production of the Ultimate Secrets of Card Magic (1967), and of its reprint in 1995. It is through his efforts that many of Vernon's accomplishments have been preserved. Vernon described him as "my long time good friend."

At the Columbus MagiFest in February 1964, Cervon and Jennings discussed The Magic Castle in Hollywood, California, where Dai Vernon had recently taken up residence. Cervon had not yet met Vernon, but both he and Jennings were admirers of Vernon's magic.

Jennings was the first to move to the Castle and wrote to Cervon praising Vernon and the newly-formed Magic Castle. Cervon followed him with his first wife Peggi, sleeping for a while on Jennings's floor. Cervon described the move as "The greatest thing I ever did in my life." Jennings introduced Cervon to Dai Vernon, which led to them discussing and practicing magic almost ceaselessly. To pay the bills, Cervon got a job as a garment cutter in the Los Angeles Garment District, where he worked for nearly five years. The Magic Castle became the epicenter for the development of close-up magic in the 1960s and 1970s, with magicians such as Dai Vernon, Ricky Jay, Persi Diaconis, Doug Henning, Larry Jennings, Bruce Cervon, Michael Ammar and John Carney at its heart. The period has been described as the "Golden Age of Close-up Magic".

Don Tanner brought Cervon to the 1958 Columbus MagiFest. In 1959 he was asked to perform close-up magic officially there. At the 1960 MagiFest he met Larry Jennings and the two became friends through a shared love of close-up sleight-of-hand magic.

Bruce Cervon (June 20, 1941 – May 24, 2007) was an American magician who was best known for his close-up magic, both through performance and invention. He published a series of books and helped to create a permanent record of the magic of Dai Vernon through The Vernon Chronicles, Dai Vernon's Ultimate Secrets of Card Magic, and Bruce Cervon's Castle Notebooks.

Bruce Cervon was born Andrew Bruce Cernava (a Croatian surname) to Helen Rauzon Cernava and George Cernava in 1941. He changed the surname to Cervon (pronounced 'SIR-von'). Raised in Akron, Ohio, his introduction to magic came aged seven, through reading his father's copy of Professor Hoffman's Tricks with Cards, and through being given a Gilbert Mysto Magic set. He later found The Akron Novelty Company, which was the only magic store in the area. From an early age he performed for his fellow classmates as The Amazing Andrews. He subsequently joined the Akron Magic Club. As he grew older, he began performing professionally at fairs and outdoor shows throughout Ohio and for various civic clubs throughout the Midwest. His wife Peggi, billed as "Crystal", was his assistant.

Cervon was a collector; not just of magic books and memorabilia, but Golden Age comics, rockabilly and doo-wop and records, hard-boiled mystery books, vintage paperbacks, pulp magazines, radio show premiums, vintage cereal boxes, paper toys, and anything Disney from 1928 to 1955.