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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened
3to learn of the death of Robert George "Bob" Zagone of the
4Albany Park neighborhood of Chicago, who passed away on
5January 7, 2023 at the age of 78; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Bob Zagone was raised around Halsted and North
7Avenue, attending Lane Tech High School when he was older; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Bob Zagone first entered the entertainment
9business as the son of two factory workers who worked in and
10around magic and novelty shops; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Bob Zagone met his idol, famous magician and
12Chicago native Harry Blackstone, whom he impressed with his
13budding sleight-of-hand ability; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Bob Zagone made a strong impression on Harry
15Blackstone, who asked if he could take him under his care and
16train him, but Bob's mother responded with a resounding "No!"
17and threatened to punch Harry Blackstone in the face; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Bob Zagone swore off prop magic as a teenager
19after someone in a small audience continued to yell out the
20secrets behind the tricks he was performing; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Bob Zagone chose to focus on close-up magic, and
2through reading books coupled with relentless practice, he
3became a master prestidigitator; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Bob Zagone would walk into Near North Side bars
5along Lincoln Avenue and Rush and Clark streets, performing
6magic for the patrons; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Bob Zagone accepted a few dollars or a drink as a
8tip, but he was not compelled by money to perform but by a love
9of his craft; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Bob Zagone provided for his family during the
111960s and 1970s by selling costumes, magic tricks, and
12numerous gag gifts at his store, Zagone's Magic and Novelty
13Shop, which opened in the Lake View neighborhood; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Bob Zagone's life changed one day when a
15gentleman entered the store and inquired about purchasing a
16comfortable gorilla mask; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Bob Zagone was able to revolutionize the mask
18industry, working with sculptors and artists to change masks
19from being rough, scratchy, and restrictive to breathing, to
20something better; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Bob Zagone closed his novelty shop and, with the
2help of his brother Phil, opened Be Something Studios, which
3produced several iconic masks with the help of resident
4artist, Billy Ystrom; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Bob Zagone added another feather to his company's
6cap after one of its masks was used in the trick-or-treating
7scene of the 1982 film "E.T. the Extraterrestrial"; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Bob Zagone gave the masks as hallmark Halloween
9gifts to his children's basketball coaches, family dentists,
10and teachers, as well as a yearly donation to the Misericordia
11Home; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Bob Zagone retired in the early 1990s, by which
13point the company had become a fully-fledged family business;
14and
 
15    WHEREAS, Bob Zagone fashioned a life doing activities that
16"just tickled him", said his daughter, Dena; these activities
17included dressing up as Santa Claus for Christmas morning and
18placing a mask of his face in his bed to give the impression
19that Mr. Claus was really there; and
 
20    WHEREAS, Bob Zagone's lifelong pocket companions were a

 

 

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1cigarette, a deck of cards, and a couple of coins that
2disappeared before the eyes of anyone who answered the query
3of "Wanna see something?"; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Bob Zagone is survived by his wife, Eleanor; his
5children, Dean Zagone and Dena (Joe) Bronowich; his
6grandchildren, Terra, Tyler, Leia, Noah, and Dylan; and his
7great-grandchild, Atlantis; therefore, be it
 
8    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL
9ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
10Robert George "Bob" Zagone and extend our sincere condolences
11to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be
12it further
 
13    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
14presented to the family of Bob Zagone as an expression of our
15deepest sympathy.