Spook Crooks! by Julien J. Proskauer

Spook Crooks! by Julien J. Proskauer
Spook Crooks! is Julien Proskauer's searing expose of the world of phony prophets, fake mediums, and other con artists who fleeced innocent victims of their cash, dignity and in some cases their lives.
Proskauer, a friend of Houdini's, took it upon himself to nearly single-handedly rid the radio airwaves of fortune tellers and psychic swindlers in the early 1930s, much to the chagrin of honest mentalists who were caught in the crossfire.

A slick billet switch, the gypsy money switch, and many other secrets are revealed in crystal clear text and illustrations.

Robert A. Nelson, owner of mentalism's most esteemed mail order supply house, took to his column in The Linking Ring to warn magicians about the content in this book, because it was too explicit! Perhaps Nelson had another agenda in mind, as this book doubtless cut into sales of individual effects and manuscripts, since Proskauer did such a nice job of explaining the methods used.

This work volume has been completely reset in new type, with editing by B.W. McCarron. This is a giant encyclopedia of fraudulent mediums and their victims, complete with individual case histories. Individual copies of the original hardbound edition sell for nearly $100. Now you can own this valuable and informative work as a convenient eBook.

1st edition 1932, 1st digital edition 2016, 270 pages.