Michael Skinner
(USA: Rochester, NY 9th August 1941 - 3rd September 1998)
Learned at age 17 from books at New York City branch library. Then a student of Eddie Fechter. Moved to Hollywood in 1967, studying under Dai Vernon and Larry Jennings. Top-line pro close-up. AMA Best Close-up Magician 1971 and 1974. Mentor of Bob King and Robert Lansing. Cruise ship worker and magic shop demonstrator. Resident magician at Golden Nugget (Lily Langtry Room, etc) in Las Vegas since 1976.
See Jeff Busby, Michael Skinner's Intimate Magic (1982, 45pp); Mike Maxwell, Michael Skinner's Ultimate 3 Card Monte (1990, 20pp); and Classic Sampler (1996, 113pp). Tricks in Talisman, Epilogue, Arcane, Magic, Magic Menu.
The protagonist of William Murray's 5 detective novels (a nightclub magician and private investigator) is based on Skinner.