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illuzns Regular user My Room in Va. 104 Posts |
I apologize in advance if I am posting this in the wrong area. I searched for an area that Pickpocket Stage acts would be listed,but I couldn't find anywhere else to post this topic. That being said...
I am searching for Any information on Borra Sr.The "Best Pickpocket specialist in the world" according to Pierre Jacques "Complete Course in Pickpocketing". I have never seen him perform although I would love to know if any video exists of him in performance or if anyone has any other knowledge of him or his history.I don't know if he is still alive or not. I do know that his son also did an act, but I do not know if he is still around either.Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thankyou in advance for any help. Your friend in magic, Illuzns |
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Totof New user Belgium 72 Posts |
There is a brief sequence (+/-1 min) of Borra's show on the tape "Rien dans les mains, tout dans les poches" from Pierre Jacques.
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cheesewrestler Inner circle Chicago 1157 Posts |
If he was around during the 50s/60s, odds are he appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show. Try a google hunt or check ebay for video/dvd compilations.
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illuzns Regular user My Room in Va. 104 Posts |
Totof- Once again, I thank you for your help. Do you know if this tape you referred to is still able to be purchased? If so, do you know where? Thanks as the information you've already given me has been a great help.
Good idea cheesewrestler... I think I will. your friend, illuzns |
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Vibono Magic Special user Växjö,Sweden 647 Posts |
Borra S:r isn't around anymore. He was the king of pickpocket as far I know. How ever there has been a number of "Borras" out there at one time I think it was three preformers with the name Borra. Now his son Charlie Borra does the same act and has done for manny years now, he have even retiered a couple of times.
Charlie Borra lives in Austria (as did his father), he has toured alover the world working night clubs, casinos and in circuses. Some time ago Charlie decided to stop working so much as his doughter started to studinng at the conservatorium and he wanted to be close by. Charlie Borra as well as Borra S:r always worked dressed as a clupsy waiter or a man helping you to find your seat before the show. while doing this he picked a few pockets that he returned during his act, this was his way of getting people on stage. Both Borra S:r and Charlie Borra started the act with cigarette manipulation, he got on stage with the words "-Before we begin the picking some modern cigarette manipulation." He would than start the most wonderful manipulation act with cigaretts and smokerings (he was even better at blowing smokrrings than manipulation acording to me). The act itself was very entertaining and humuros but with class. He stole watshes, walets, pen, belts, braclets, braces and even glases while the spectator was still wearing them.
Vibono Mirage
Magic entertainer and Balloon artist |
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illuzns Regular user My Room in Va. 104 Posts |
Vibono-
Thankyou so much for sharing this information with me. I have read about Borra Sr. and have heard of his expertise in the field of pickpocketing. I too have heard about his ability to steal the glasses off of an audience members face without them knowing it.I have also heard that he never used stooges in his acts. I would love to see him on video. I wish I had been around to see him when he was still alive. I'm sure his son is quite skilled as well. Thanks again... Your friend in magic, Illuzns |
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Totof New user Belgium 72 Posts |
Illuzns,
The tape of Pierre Jacques is available here: magies.com. |
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diamond Regular user Serbia & Montenegro 200 Posts |
I'm bringing back this old topic after such a long time, but I think the info might be interesting. Borra Sr. was born, lived and in my country (Serbia & Montenegro) until the late fifties (or sixties, I don't know for sure) when he immigrated to Graz (Austria) where he lived and died. He was well known as the best pickpocket on earth. Vibono magic has mentioned "a number of Borras"... Let me explain that a little bit... There were actually 3 Borras - Borra 1, Borra 2 and Borra 3. Borra 1 and Borra 2 were brothers, and Borra 3 was their cousin. In the 40s, 50s and 60s they toured my country together (it was Yugoslavia at that time) and used those names. At some point there was a collision among them and since then they started performing separately, still using the same names. That explains the confusion over a "number of Borras".
One of the secrets why they were so succesful was the fact that they developed their moves, routines and an entirely new theory of pickpocketing themselves. They gre up in a small town of Jagodina where the father of Borra 1 and Borra 2 had a store selling garnments for clothes. Borras have actually learned and developed their skills watching the thieves at the store and real pickpockets in the town's market. They have probbably seen some pickpocket performer at some point and wanted to learn that, but for them comming from a small remote town in the Balkans, it was impossible to come across magic books and information on pickpocketing. All they could do was to wach the pickpockets and thieves in their shop (and they did have to watch carefully and catch them) and take their logic as a base for their future showbiz skills. Their theory relies on much more direct methods of misdirection and there was a lot of psychology involved. One of Borra Sr's students (and later I'll explain how I came across this gentleman) told me that they could tell, just by mere looking at someone, what was his/her proffession and what class audience members belonged to and by that they would know in advance what those audience members had on them and in which pockets. They also used a very complex skill of blocking certain nerves by touching a spectator on different palces on his/hers body so that the person wouldn't feel the steal. The watch steal they performed was entirely different from nowadays known methods, they took watches off using only fingernails. One of the common things is that they rarely used magic routines as misdirection (on most of pickpocketing DVDs nowadays different performers teach that you HAVE to perform some close up magic in order to accomplish a steal). Borras never did that. They used the anatomy of the body and the nature of every movement of the spectator instead. Borra 1 (real name Boris Milojkovic), later known as Borra Sr, was without any dount the most skilled of all of them. Unfortunately they didn't leave many students and none of their students became professional performers. I know a grandson of Borra 2 (his grandson is a famous actor in my country) and he knows nothing about pickpocketing. I was booked to perform a segment of my show in one restaurant in Belgrade (the capital of our country) and while I was preparing the Maitre de' came in the dressing room and told me that he is glad to meet me because he is a magician in some way too - he was one of the rare students of the great Borra brothers! before I knew it, all the gimmicks I was about to use for my show were gone from my body, my doves were gone from my pockets, and I was in a deep shock! I am familiar with some basic pickpocketing routines (the commercially available ones -from various DVDs), but this was nothing like it. The misdirection was minimal (it was more or less those "paralysing" spots that he would touch) and all the moves were performed in a fraction of a second. We talked a little bit and he explained some moves to me and while demonstrating how some steals should be performed, he picked my pockets again. Unfortunately I didn't get to meet that Maitre de' again and I regret that I didn't write down his phone number. Unfortunately, the knowledge of Borras' is mostly lost nowadays and I'm desperately hoping to meet some of their rare students (and those students are senior citizens now). The magic community in Belgrade (our local magic club) is desperately looking for info and resources about Borra Sr, so if anyone happens to have some of his show footage or anything in your private colection, please send me a PM. Also, if anyone knows the email address of his son Charly Borra, please let me know. |
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Laszlo Csizmadi Special user From Hell 868 Posts |
I saw Sr Borra in the early 70s in the Budapest Circus. I was working there fixing and inspecting the ropes for air acrobats. I saw his work at least 50 times. Actually he was working with a german travelling circus (I forget the circus name) and they performed in Budapest. That time he was about 30 years old. He had there three months contract. Sr Borra was living in Austria. He married in Budapest. His wife (beautiful blonde austrian lady) was working in the Circus too as an artists with her mother. Yes he collected things from the people before the show but he did on the stage too. My favorite was when he took off the glases from someone he put on and the person didn't noticed. I never thought he isn't from Austria. Thanks for the info Diamond. It would be great if you post here or send me a PM because I don't know their (kids)first name.
Thanks Posted: Sep 12, 2005 1:02am ------------------------------------------ On the stage the Borra's were the best there is no question. In the real life there is an 82 years old man Gheorge Adochitei from Bucharest (Romania) still alive was the best in the world. People and the police called him Pickpocket King. In his young age police couldn't nail him but after he got older they caught him a lot of times. He blamed his hands wasn't working so good like before. He was in and out all the time. After about 30 years together in jail he opened a pickpocket school.(of course illegal) He hid different things one of his student pockets and pinned little bells in the guy clothes. The other student passed the test only if they didn't heard the bells. The students had to pay him an amount percent what they stole. He still collecting and the police has no prove. His students very well respecting him. |
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diamond Regular user Serbia & Montenegro 200 Posts |
The name of Borra's son is Charly Borra. He still performs his fathers act in circuses and variety theatres mainly in Switzerland. An interesting fact is that his relative, a grandson of Borra 2 (I have mentioned him in my previous post - the famous actor in our country) asked me if I could find out an email of Mr. Charly Borra. They never had any contact due to the family dispute which happened when the three Borras split decades ago. He would like to contact him and meet him and I'm doing a research in order to find out Mr. Borra's contact information.
Regarding stealing the glasses, Mr. James Freedman has explained it along with several other Borra's speciality moves on his video "Stealing The Show". Borra's student that I have met (the Maitre de' in a restaurant that I have mentioned in my previous post) has shown me an interesting variation, which was often performed by Borra Sr. By the end of his act, he would steal a gentleman's wallet from the spectator on stage (the same wallet he stole over and over again throughout the routine in a hilarious way) and he would say: "You forgot your wallet, one day you'll forget your head". As he was saying this, he would gently hit the spectator on the forhead with the wallet. This would cause the spectator to blink and during the blink the glasses were stolen and the spectator would never notice anything. The audience of course sees the whole action and they are responding with laughter. Borra would go around the spectator placing the glasses on his own head and he would say "Watch carefully" turning his back to the spectator, so the spectator still wasn't aware that the glasses were stolen. Borra would prolong this moment as much as possible to create more laughter and then he would say "Of course you can't watch me carefully without your glasses"... |
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Laszlo Csizmadi Special user From Hell 868 Posts |
Yes that's what I'm talking about. He did that either took off the glases put on and couple second later faced the person talked to him and the guy never noticed his glases was on Sr Borra. The wallet thing I learned the first week because that was his mean attraction, steal the wallet not just once.(he showed for us) I saw first time on Borra show someone stealing necktie and pants holder (I don't know the english name for pants holder, you know the thing which is going from the front over your shoulder to the back and hold the pants) When he started his show sometimes 20 different things were in his pocket already what he stoled in the hall. After the show he played with the workers and artists in the coffeteria not once. We were shoked because sometime you did not even remember that he was close to you and he produced a couple things. I got the circus name. Just popped in my head. It was the german Circus Bush-Roland. You should contact especially german circus people to get more information about Borra's from the circus history. Check the websites and I know there are forums on the net. Maybe you get lucky and find something.
Good luck |
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jlevey Inner circle Montreal, Quebec, Canada 2076 Posts |
Fascinating info.
Which of the Pierre Jacques tapes is the most comprehensive? Where can I purchase Stealing the Show by James Freman? Please provide links if possible. Many thanks. Jonathan
Jonathan
Max & Maxine Entertainment Magicians with a touch of comedy! ___________________________________ www.maxmagician.com www.mindreadershow.com www.monsieurmagic.com |
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magselvin New user spain 6 Posts |
Hello friends
I'm new on that wonderful forum I'm a professional magician from Barcelona Spain 52 years old and I have see many many times Borra Sr. who acts often in Barcelona for long contracts in Scala (a local similar to Lydo Paris that no long exists) he don't just act on the 50's and 60's even on 70's and 80's with great succses and one of the most well paid atractions on the great shows circuit, the mail of his son Charly, is office@charlyborra.com cordially to the pick pocket friends selvin
wellcome to the annual Festival Internacional de Magia de Santa Susanna (Barcelona-coast) Spain with international participation. Info: www.selvin.gestionaweb.com
selvin - Director |
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jlevey Inner circle Montreal, Quebec, Canada 2076 Posts |
Hi Selvin,
Thanks for your info on how to contact Borra Sr.'s son. And thanks too for your recent PM. Would you be kind enough to upload your e-mail address onto your Avtar Bio. I know we can send you a PM, but your e-mail address might also be helpful to some. All the best.
Jonathan
Max & Maxine Entertainment Magicians with a touch of comedy! ___________________________________ www.maxmagician.com www.mindreadershow.com www.monsieurmagic.com |
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Laszlo Csizmadi Special user From Hell 868 Posts |
If you can't read germany writing then get the free translator site here: http://babelfish.altavista.com/translate.dyn
Here is some info about Charly Borra: bz.berlin1.de translation - charlyborra.com Good luck. |
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jlevey Inner circle Montreal, Quebec, Canada 2076 Posts |
I just received and wathced Pierre Jacques pickpocketing video and saw a very brief but wonderful clip of Borra senior performing.
Many thanks for mentioning this DVD. It's very good. I really like Pierre Jacques mix of confidence and humility. great instruction. Jonathan
Jonathan
Max & Maxine Entertainment Magicians with a touch of comedy! ___________________________________ www.maxmagician.com www.mindreadershow.com www.monsieurmagic.com |
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kris attard Elite user Malta 437 Posts |
This is a very interesting thread, thanks Illuzn for starting it, and thanks all who contributed here. I worked a (genuine) pickpocket act in cabaret for years and Borra was my idol who started me off right after I read Eddie joseph's booklet. I have nothing but huge respect for the late Borra.
Illuzn, this should probably answer your question, I first saw his act on the Paul Daniels Show shown on BBC, probably about 15 years ago or so. It should not be hard to obtain this footage, and - anyone out there please correct me if I'm wrong - it is probably the easiest, if not the only, complete act footage you can obtain. PM me if you have any difficulties. Yes, it had all the trademarks, the 'open' watch steal, the suspenders and of course the glasses. Borra will always be known for his ingenius up-front declaration of how he intends to rob his volunteers, and still does that under their nose. Diamond, I am so fascinated by your statement that Borra had knowledge of certain nerves to press which helped his work. Do you have any other info on this you can share? |
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diamond Regular user Serbia & Montenegro 200 Posts |
I have a footage of Borra Sr. performing.... I will dig through my messy apartment (we're preparing for a tour) and I will post it on youtube.
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Rudy Sanchez Special user 907 Posts |
During one of the Academy of Magical Arts Award shows in Beverly Hills, Borra Sr. was presented with a special award. During the evening he performed for the audience and I was told later that he had been sick with a very high temperature and came from his bed directly to the stage. He perfomed his opening cigarette routine (wow could he make smoke rings!) then proceeded to walk through the audience and do his pickpocketing. Borra Sr. was GREAT! and little did anyone know that he had been very sick! What a pro!!! One of the very best I have ever watched! Vic Perry and Dr. Giovanni were awesome pickpockets also!
Rudy
www.cesaral.com
Sales Manager for Cesaral Magic |
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magicianfaust New user United Kingdom 5 Posts |
I saw Borra Senior touring as an attraction with Bertram Mills Circus in the UK in the late 1940's or early 50's, opening with his cigarettes routine, which he performed standing at the entrance to the ring, before proceeding with his pickpocket act, and I thought at the time that his act would have registered better in a theatre. Later I believe he toured in circus abroad for a time as "The Thief of Bagdhad" in oriental costume. In the mid 60's I worked with him at the Scala Club in Doncaster, where he performed in evening dress. His son was with him, backstage, at that time.
Granville Taylor has the pleasure to present THE LAST OF THE GREAT MASTERS OF MAGIC: FAUST THE MAGICIAN with his fantastic "WORLD OF MYSTERY" Show featuring Amac's Giant Three-Card Illusion "FIND THE LADY" - Positively the Most Amazing Illusion Ever Conce
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