John Scarne

Orlando Carmelo Scarnecchia was born March 4, 1903, in Steubenville, Ohio and at some point anglicized his name to John Scarne (International Phonetic Alphabet). He moved to Fairview, New Jersey as a child. Leaving school after the eighth grade, he learned as a teenager how to perform card tricks like three-card monte and to gamble using cards and dice. His mother, disappointed in how he was making his money (the family was Roman Catholic), encouraged him to take up magic instead. He soon started making money at card tricks.

Related Topics:
March 4 - 1903 - Steubenville, Ohio - Anglicize - International Phonetic Alphabet - Fairview, New Jersey - Three-card monte - Gamble - Cards - Dice - Roman Catholic - Card tricks

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Gradually, Scarne became quite an expert at tricks and games of all kinds. Articles were written about him in various magazines, and he was hired as a consultant or advisor by various companies. He also wrote or co-wrote twenty-eight books on games, such as Scarne on Dice, Scarne's Guide to Modern Poker and Scarne's New Complete Guide to Gambling, and a memoir.

Related Topics:
Tricks - Games

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But he was happiest when inventing (and marketing, through his company John Scarne Games Inc.) new games, which he did quite a bit. And he was especially proud of one called Teeko, which he invented in 1945 (version withdrawn), re-invented in 1952 and modified in the 1960s. He was so proud of the game that he named his son John Teeko Scarne. But he never made a profit on the game, and it is now virtually unknown.

Related Topics:
John Scarne Games Inc. - Teeko - 1945 - 1952 - 1960s - John Teeko Scarne

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Scarne married Steffi Storm (née Norma Kearney) in 1955 (and they had John Teeko the same year).

Related Topics:
Steffi Storm - 1955 - John Teeko

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Scarne died July 7, 1985 at 82, while living in North Bergen, New Jersey.

Related Topics:
July 7 - 1985 - North Bergen, New Jersey

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