Johnny Thompson

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For the Irish cricketer, see Johnny Thompson (cricketer).

For other uses, see John Thompson.

Johnny Thompson

Born 1934/1935

Died March 9, 2019 (aged 84)

Nationality Polish-American

Other names The Great Tomsoni

Occupation Illusionist, comedian

Spouse(s) Pamela Hayes

Johnny Thompson (c. 1934 - March 9, 2019)[1] was a Polish-American[2] comedian and Las Vegas
illusionist who performed under the stage name The Great Tomsoni with his wife, Pamela Hayes.
They had a comedic slapstick act with the well-dressed Thompson and his gum-popping assistant,
Pam, performing illusions while enduring a series of mishaps. Within the magician community,
Tomsoni was considered a virtuoso, widely known as a mentor and teacher of magic, and a creator
of tricks, as opposed to simply a performer. He worked behind the scenes with magicians such as
Penn and Teller, Lance Burton, Criss Angel and Mat Franco.[3][4] In 1999, he was awarded one of
the highest honors in the magician community, a Masters Fellowship with the Academy of Magical
Arts.[5]

Contents

1 Biography

1.1 Death

2 Names

3 Awards

4 References

5 External links

Biography
Along with his wife Pamela Hayes, he performed a slapstick comic magical act in which he played
the role of a dapper but buffoonish vaudeville gentleman, with a gum-popping assistant, and they
endured various mishaps during their performance. One of his trademarks was producing pure
white doves on stage, which were trained to play along with the act once they had appeared.[6]

He had been featured on many episodes of Criss Angel's Mindfreak, the "Hair" episode of Penn
and Teller's Bullshit!, and the film The Aristocrats. His wife and assistant, Pamela Hayes Thompson,
was featured in the film Women in Boxes about magicians' assistants.[7]

He was the producer on the television program Penn & Teller: Fool Us. As part of that job, he was
responsible for making the final call as to whether the performers were able to fool Penn &
Teller.[8]

Death

On February 25, 2019, Thompson collapsed during a rehearsal of Fool Us and was taken to Spring
Valley Hospital in Las Vegas. He died in the hospital 12 days later, on March 9, at age 84.[9][10]

Names

Thompson's act has performed under the following names:

The Great Tomsoni

The Great Tomsoni & Co.

The Great Tomsoni and Company

The Great Tomsoni: The Wizard of Warsaw[11]

Tomsoni & Co.

Awards

Magicians of the Year: Johnny and Pam Thompson

LOUIE award, Tannen's Magic Jubilee, 2000

Masters Fellowship, Academy of Magical Arts, 1999[5]

References

Weatherford, Mike (September 14, 2008). "Old-timer the mind behind the magic". Las Vegas
Review-Journal. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
Hunt, Luanne (October 12, 2001). "The Great Escape". Press-Telegram.

Ernst, Jerry (February 20, 2005). "See what they've got up their sleeves - Magic shows, workshops
to offer a look behind the scenes". Flushing Observer.

Smith, Vicki (December 7, 2001). "Mystifying the magician". Press-Telegram.

Hunt, Luanne J. (October 12, 2001). "The Great Escape". Press-Telegram.

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