Often we don’t know nor recognize those who work behind the scenes and spotlights. But they are the ones responsible for making the person in front of the curtains or camera look good. As they say, “it takes a village” and that is especially true for “stars” who make it on television and stage. One such person that is a “go-to” consultant is Joe Monti. When Criss Angel got his television deal for “Mind Freak”, Joe was one of the first people Criss called. As time went on and it became apparent how valuable Joe was, he also assumed the role of “producer”. Joe continues to this day to consult for magicians as well as performing for high profile corporate clients. He has even fooled Penn & Teller on their show, “Fool Us”.

My friendship with Joe Monti goes back nearly 40 years from when we performed together at Houston’s Magic Island. It was good to catch up with a long-time friend this week as he shared many stories about what he has been doing during those years. He has a few “behind the scenes” stories to tell about working with Criss Angel plus his experience on “Penn & Teller Fool Us”.

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I have this memory of an interactive stunt that Criss Angel did on tv once. The premise was that he was going to connect his energy with yours. As a kid I decided why the hell not? So he told you to touch your finger to the tv screen at the same time as he touched the camera lens, and that was supposed to do something. I remember being skeptical but did it anyway. Next thing I knew it my head was down and my eyes were squeezed shut, and I felt like I had lost a chunk of time. Kinda hard to explain. Almost like I blacked out, or a sort of dissociation. One minute I was smirking at the tv screen, the next minute my head was down in concentration or something. I think I remember shaking. I stumbled backward and looked up at the tv screen, only to see an equally shocked Criss, then the bit was over. I haven’t been able to find that clip anywhere, but I swear on my life it happened. Like I can still remember the static of the tv screen and the smell of the room I was in.