About Magician Matt Episcopo
Matt has enjoyed making people laugh since he was a small boy. He began to study magic seriously in 1989 and took his art to the next level under the mentorship of a well-respected fellow magician Ron Zollweg from Utica, NY. Matt is a member of two of the most prestigious magic membership organizations in the world. For the International Brotherhood of Magicians (IBM), Matt is a member of Ring 101 Utica, NY. He is also a member of the Society of American Magicians (SAM) Assembly 14 in Syracuse, NY.
Matt Episcopo has won esteemed awards for magic, such as: The Walter Cummings Award, numerous times, and the Don Connelly Humanitarian Award. Matt is also one of only 200 magicians who attend the most prestigious gatherings of close-up magicians in the world, Fechter’s Finger Flicking Frolic (FFFF).
Matt is well known for his love of comedy and he always has a joke or funny story to share. His mission is to bring happiness to others and improve the world around him through laughter and smiles. Matt states, “Magic is my stress relief from the situations I see on a day-to-day basis. I love to see the smiles that my magic brings to people”.
Matt has over 20 years of law enforcement experience and is a highly decorated Captain. He has won many esteemed awards, including the Medal of Honor, Meritorious Service, Gallantry Star, Honorable Service, Sheriff’s Award and numerous citations. He is a certified police instructor and frequently utilizes comedy and magic to illustrate his points on unsuspecting cadets. Matt currently participates on a nation-wide technology work group on Biometrics for the National Institute of Justice. Matt has also served on protection details for President Clinton, former Soviet Union President Gorbachev and the Dalai Lama.
Matt Episcopo is a professional comedian and sleight of hand artist. His professional demeanor and speaking ability makes him a favorite for corporate events of all kinds. He entertains close up, with the magic happening in the hands of the people he is entertaining, and on stage with a customized show for every client. His performances include close up, sleight of hand effects, stage shows, stand up comedy, trade shows and Master of Ceremony or keynote addresses. He has performed for such groups as The American Heart Association, Americu Federal Credit Union, PAR Government, Peacemaker Program, Inc., charities and numerous others.
One of his favorite (and most well received) performances was in Carville, LA during his deployment with the Disaster Mortuary Operations Response Team (DMORT). DMORT is a federal disaster team that provides mobile morgue operations, search/recovery and forensic evaluations, during times of mass casualty. During his deployment in January 2006, in response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Matt performed a magic show for his fellow DMORT team members. He received a standing ovation, and people are still talking about “Magic Matt” that broke the ice, relieved their stress under difficult conditions, and helped them laugh during tough times. While on a brief excursion to New Orleans, Matt had the pleasure of opening a show for Harry Anderson at his speakeasy, Oswald’s. Harry said, “That kid from New York is SMOOTH!”
Matt Episcopo is truly fostering the mission of sharing in the art of magic. “It is because of the art of magic that I have met so many great people in my life. I enjoy giving back what I can and encourage others to respect the art, and give the gift of a smile.”
