Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Related to Houdini?

The Indy Horror Film Festival (March 5) is promoting a special guest appearance by Aron Houdini, who's billed as "The Worlds Only Living Houdini and distant nephew of The Great Harry Houdini!!!"

Aron Houdini has performed all over the United States and Canada including his famous escape from the United States Marshal’s service making him the ONLY magician/escape artist to escape the nations oldest Law Enforcement agency. Aron Houdini is a 3-Time Entertainer of the Year and World Champion of the Straight Jacket Escape. Including a Guinness World Record for the most regulation Straight Jacket escapes in 1 hour (30) , and the fastest regulation Straight Jacket escape. (11 seconds)

Aron Houdini has performed and been seen on NBC, ABC, CBS, SyFy, Fox, ESPN, and many more major television network stations.

Aron Houdini following in his uncles footsteps is also a professional Paranormal Investigator. Working closely with the Discovery channel’s Ghost Lab, also known as Everyday Paranormal. Aron Houdini has investigated some of the most haunted locations in the United States with more than 400 investigation behind him.

I've never heard of Aron Houdini, but I'm pretty sure there is no way his last name could really be Houdini. Houdini had no kids and, apart from Hardeen, the rest of the family kept the name Weiss (I think some of the kids became "White"). But I'm not saying he isn't related. I just don't know anything about him.

Anyone have the skinny on Aron Houdini?

UPDATE: I've just exchanged emails with Aron himself who explains:

"My grandmother is Iris F. Culver, born near Appleton Wisconsin. Her mom's name was Agnes Sanderson, maiden name Fozzard. Agnes, (my great grandmother) was sister too Elsie Fozzard. If you go back too Genealogy you will see Houdini's brother Theodore married, Elsie Fozzard, my Great Aunt!!! Making Harry Houdini, (Ehrich Weiz) my distant Great Uncle.

Growing up in my family at the family reunions they always talked about Houdini. It was 5 years after I started doing magic when I was 12 years old when I saw a show on tv about my "great uncle" Harry Houdini. It was at that point I realized I was going to be the new Houdini. THE DAY I turned 18, I went to the court house, filed the paper work, and the Judge legally added HOUDINI to my last name. Making me, Aron Sullivan Houdini. I've been Aron Houdini for the past 14 years."

Pretty cool. Thank you, Aron...HOUDINI!

16 comments:

  1. Very nice guy. Me and my wife met him a couple of times. He goes out of his way to hang with fans and others. I seen him call a Psychic out at a tattoo convention last year. She closed her table, and left. He's serious about following Houdini, very serious.

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  2. I've just been in touch and, yes, he seems like a very nice guy. Article updated with how he's related. How fun to grow up knowing you're related to Houdini. And his name is, indeed, "Houdini."

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  3. Aron's a delightful guy. Met him at Scarefest last fall. He won't be the last living Houdini for long tho...his son is arriving in a few months. I'm knitting booties as we speak. hehe

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  4. Very cool story. But, if you look at the genealogy above technically Theodore is the Grand Uncle and Harry is a in law. Which, is still very cool.

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  5. Just to clarify something in your article. Arons great, great, great Auntie married Theodore Weiz. So Arons related to him only (as an inlaw), as his Uncle Theodore. Yes, Harry Houdini was Theodores brother, but that doesn't mean you can call him "Uncle Harry". There's no blood relationship at all between Aron and Theodore/Harry. Harry Houdini was just the brother of the great, great, great Uncle who married into Arons bloodline.

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    1. Excuse Me; BUT you know nothing. Aron is related to Houdini. I should know I know him personaally and his neice is my best friend. If you know nothing about the topic don't open your mouth and leave a comment. Thanks for your Cooperation, and for leaving your mouth out of things that it doesn't belong in.

      ~Krista =}

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  6. hey uncle aron!!!!

    haley walls
    p.s. krista said heyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

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  7. I am the sister of Aron Houdini. Yes we may not be "blood related to Harry Houdini but the magic is in his(Aron's) blood. It is true that our great aunt did marry his brother and thus he can be called our Uncle. Although like you said no blood is tied into his genes he carries the magic of Harry Houdini everywhere he goes. From the time he could hold a deck of cards Aron has performed magic. He has and always will be one of the best magicians to honor the Houdini name. He has worked hard all his life to achieve what he has achieved and put his mind and body through the toughest and I need say most painful acts to entertain his fans, just as the Great Harry Houdini did. To carry the love of magic and the art of illusion like Aron does, I would say would make Harry Houdini proud. So in response to the negativity of recent replies, it's not your blood that confirms your identity it's your heart and passion!

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    1. Beautifully said, Wendy. Thank you for the comment.

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    2. He's a fraud! He needs to be exposed as what he is!

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  8. wow great info here,

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  9. but sounds like I should legally change my name to houdini, LOL

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  10. There's is no "blood" relation at all. He is related though marriage only. Saying "distant" does not make him a blood relative.

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  11. seems like people will do anything in this world to make a "buck" even claim to be a distance relative of a famous person when they are not!!!! do yourself a favor aron perform under your real birth name and quit living in a fantasy world

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  12. Well Aron was very rude when I asked him if he did magic. Said no he does not and was rude about it .....

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