Glendale Tutors

About Glendale

When one thinks of magic and mystery, Glendale in the borough of Queens doesn’t usually come to mind. More often than not, the image of Glendale is a standard middle class neighborhood with pretty brick facades of semi-detached historical homes. On the surface, Glendale is cookie-cutter. But beyond the surface, Glendale houses one of the most legendary illusionists and famous stage magicians in American history: Harry Houdini. Houdini is buried in the Jewish cemetery Machpelah, along with his family members, and has continued to gain notoriety even after his death.

Houdini was born Erik Weisz and was the son of Hungarian immigrants. His family made their way to New York City when he was an adolescent, and shortly thereafter, Houdini began his career. He took on the name Houdini as a nod to French magician Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin, and Harry as an homage to Harry Kellar, an early American magician. Over the course of his life, Houdini variously participated in all things entertainment, from cross country running to spiritualist debunking, with acting, film production, and even aviation for a short time. However, Houdini is best known for his roles as a stage magician and escapologist, as well as his stunt performances.

While based out of New York, Houdini frequently went on world-wide tours, becoming one of the most famous figures of the early twentieth century. When he died at age fifty-four, his funeral was attended by over two thousand people in New York City. At the time, he was the president of The Society of American Magicians. His internment was funded by The Society, which continued to maintain the gravesite for many years. Today, however, the Houdini Museum of Scranton, PA provides the funds for the care of the Houdini plot.

Houdini’s final resting place has garnered significant attention in the 90 or so years since his death. Visitors include other famous magicians and escape artists, such as David Copperfield, James Randi, and John Bohannon. A bust of Houdini has been stolen and replicated four times over the century to keep the site intact, and in 1996, to commemorate the anniversary of his death (on Halloween, no less!) The Society of American Magicians performed a broken wand ceremony at the Houdini plot. The broken wand ceremony entails a magician’s wand being snapped in half over the grave, which symbolizes the conclusion of a magician’s power.

Houdini’s magical prowess may have come to an end in 1996 with the broken wand ritual, but the intellectual powers of students in Glendale have endless potential with the help of tutoring and mentorship. Grade Potential tutors in Glendale work the magic their clients need to turn bad grades around and become successful. They free the mind from bad habits and dead-end studying, and show the path to academic achievement with precision and skill—just as Houdini did once upon a time when he broke free from a straight jacket in a water tank.