Michael Close
Mike's interest in magic began at the age of 6 when he received a few tricks as a birthday present. The bug bit and held and magic remained an important hobby. In 1972, Mike met Harry Riser, who lived close by in Indianapolis. By this time, he had developed a strong interest in sleight-of-hand close-up magic, and being able to spend time with Harry was a treat and an education. Mike had always kept magic purely as a hobby. His profession was (and still is) music and he wanted to avoid having to do magic for money. Nevertheless, in 1978, Mike took a job at Max and Erma's Restaurant in Indianapolis and performed there one night a week for seven and a half years. In 1985, his music career began making more demands on his time and he dropped out of the magic scene. In June, 1988, Illusions Restaurant opened in Carmel, Indiana and Mike was asked to be part of the magic staff. In a matter of months, Mike was put in charge of the magicians there and has been performing ever since, working five or six nights a week.
He was the Editor in Chief of MUM and works behind the scenes of the Penn & Teller Fool Us TV show.
