SR0199 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0199 LRB103 31694 MST 60227 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Robert George "Bob" Zagone of the Albany Park neighborhood of Chicago, who passed away on January 7, 2023 at the age of 78; and

WHEREAS, Bob Zagone was raised around Halsted and North Avenue, attending Lane Tech High School when he was older; and

WHEREAS, Bob Zagone first entered the entertainment business as the son of two factory workers who worked in and around magic and novelty shops; and

WHEREAS, Bob Zagone met his idol, famous magician and Chicago native Harry Blackstone, whom he impressed with his budding sleight-of-hand ability; and

WHEREAS, Bob Zagone made a strong impression on Harry Blackstone, who asked if he could take him under his care and train him, but Bob's mother responded with a resounding "No!" and threatened to punch Harry Blackstone in the face; and

WHEREAS, Bob Zagone swore off prop magic as a teenager after someone in a small audience continued to yell out the secrets behind the tricks he was performing; and

WHEREAS, Bob Zagone chose to focus on close-up magic, and through reading books coupled with relentless practice, he became a master prestidigitator; and

WHEREAS, Bob Zagone would walk into Near North Side bars along Lincoln Avenue and Rush and Clark streets, performing magic for the patrons; and

WHEREAS, Bob Zagone accepted a few dollars or a drink as a tip, but he was not compelled by money to perform but by a love of his craft; and

WHEREAS, Bob Zagone provided for his family during the 1960s and 1970s by selling costumes, magic tricks, and numerous gag gifts at his store, Zagone's Magic and Novelty Shop, which opened in the Lake View neighborhood; and

WHEREAS, Bob Zagone's life changed one day when a gentleman entered the store and inquired about purchasing a comfortable gorilla mask; and

WHEREAS, Bob Zagone was able to revolutionize the mask industry, working with sculptors and artists to change masks from being rough, scratchy, and restrictive to breathing, to something better; and

WHEREAS, Bob Zagone closed his novelty shop and, with the help of his brother Phil, opened Be Something Studios, which produced several iconic masks with the help of resident artist, Billy Ystrom; and

WHEREAS, Bob Zagone added another feather to his company's cap after one of its masks was used in the trick-or-treating scene of the 1982 film "E.T. the Extraterrestrial"; and

WHEREAS, Bob Zagone gave the masks as hallmark Halloween gifts to his children's basketball coaches, family dentists, and teachers, as well as a yearly donation to the Misericordia Home; and

WHEREAS, Bob Zagone retired in the early 1990s, by which point the company had become a fully-fledged family business; and

WHEREAS, Bob Zagone fashioned a life doing activities that "just tickled him", said his daughter, Dena; these activities included dressing up as Santa Claus for Christmas morning and placing a mask of his face in his bed to give the impression that Mr. Claus was really there; and

WHEREAS, Bob Zagone's lifelong pocket companions were a cigarette, a deck of cards, and a couple of coins that disappeared before the eyes of anyone who answered the query of "Wanna see something?"; and

WHEREAS, Bob Zagone is survived by his wife, Eleanor; his children, Dean Zagone and Dena (Joe) Bronowich; his grandchildren, Terra, Tyler, Leia, Noah, and Dylan; and his great-grandchild, Atlantis; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Robert George "Bob" Zagone and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Bob Zagone as an expression of our deepest sympathy.