We have a close group of volunteers which the New York Times called the Houdini Commandos from The Houdini Museum who have been doing this for over a year now.Harry Houdini (born Erik Weisz, Ma– October 31, 1926) was a Hungarian-American illusionist began his career in 1891, focused initially on traditional card tricks, but had little success. We have also been assigned by the cemetery to do the up keep of the grave site, which used to be done by the Society of American Magicians (SAM), which they subsequently neglected. Replacing the bust cost us about $10,000 which we are far from recouping, as donations for that has been slow, with the economy as bad as it is. We are going to try to replace one at a time, starting with Gladys, unless we can get enough funding for both of them. We have the permission of the cemetery to replace them, and are looking for contributions for this much needed project. The foundations required by law are still there at the end of the plot. Nevertheless, Bessie does have an attractive headstone in Gate of Heaven, and she's in good company with such notables as Babe Ruth, James Cagney, New York mayor Jimmy Walker, and Houdini's friend and associate Fulton Oursler nearby.ĭick Brookz Dorothy Dietrich Februat 8:37 AMĪfter we replaced the Houdini bust at the grave, on one of our visits the management of the cemetery brought out the damaged simple matching headstones of Gladys and Leo. But if it wasn't, I think it's sad that religion, which did not prevent Harry and Bess from falling in love and getting married in 1894, would separate them in eternity. Some have said Machpelah wouldn't allow Bess to be buried there, but from what I've read online, Jewish cemeteries do allow the burial of non-Jewish spouses.Īccording to David Charvet's superb article on Bess in Magic (Oct 1995), Bess's sister Marie claimed "that Bess had re-embraced Catholicism on her deathbed." So if it was Bess's wish to be buried in a Catholic cemetery instead of Machpelah, so be it. The reason for this has never been made 100% clear, but it's said that her family wanted her buried in a Catholic cemetery (consecrated ground and all that). Instead Bess was buried in Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Hawthorne, New York.
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