Our History

Pittsburgh’s rich history of magic begins with the Great Thurston, a successful stage illusionist, and mentor of Pittsburgh’s own Raymond Sugden, a.k.a. “Tampa, England’s Court Magician” (who never visited England). Tampa would help to create our I.B.M. Ring 13 in 1927. The Ring has operated continuously ever since, with our own Jack Greenberg serving as the International President in 2000-2001.

In 1914, Robert Hartley (trick shot artist for a Wild West Show) established the Pittsburgh Association of Magicians. Houdini, as National President of the Society of American Magicians (S.A.M.), became interested in the group, and in 1925, while Houdini was performing in town, the Pittsburgh Association of Magicians became Assembly No. 18 of the S.A.M.

In 1916, Harry Houdini performed his famous upside-down straight jacket escape on Liberty Avenue, a feat duplicated 100 years later by Pittsburgher Lee Terbosic, a mentee of Paul Gertner, the ‘burgh’s most famous sleight-of-hand artist, who himself was mentored by Ron Slanina. Pittsburgh has a long and strong history of growing incredible magical talent.

In 2023, during the annual I.B.M. Convention that took place in Pittsburgh, the Ring announced that the name of the local Chapter would be renamed to I.B.M. Tampa-Greenberg Ring #13 in honor of Jack Greenberg who had been a member since 1945, a former President of the Ring, and a dedicated champion of magic in Pittsburgh.