Apollo Robbins is respectable at steal stuff and nonsense . For years , this renown pickpocket entertain Vegas audience by steal their hearts– generally by stealing their wrist watch and money clips . But everything changed for Apollo after he picked the sack of one of Jimmy Carter ’s privy service agents during one of his display . I sat with Robbins to talk about the artwork of pickpocketing , life after Vegas , and why he countenance gypsies steal stuff from him .
How ’d you get into pickpocketing business?My half brothers were involved with criminal offense . But I was too young to participate . I also had certain disabilities that prevented me [ from joining in ] : like bracing on my legs . When I became a adolescent , I carry into a friend at a sorcerous store who take me under his wing . I embark on reading up on magical theory and immediately meld that with what my brother had shown me .
Your style of pickpocketing is base in magic?I applied my conjuration in ways that were incursive , where it pass off on people . There are two kinds of thaumaturgy . If you think of it like martial arts , there ’s spar where you are doing it with a better half and the other is kata where you ’re doing an exposition for the hearing . Many times , magic or magic set are design as an exposition for the interview to watch , but the the style I do with the pickpocketing is directly synergistic . So I used that idea to build my pickpocket act in Vegas .
You mentioned a story about Jimmy Carter ’s orphic service man . How did stealing from an president ’s bodyguard turn into your big break?My show was part - smorgasbord , part - deception , so I brought people on stage . Then I ’d steal all their stuff and give it back to them . But 7 or 8 years ago , I pick - bag one of Jimmy Carter ’s secret inspection and repair agents . After that , I got approached [ to consult ] constabulary departments and security individual . I got to visit prison house and I started learning the thinking and skill Seth of tangible thieves . So , there ’s a difference of opinion in how thieves and magicians pluck pocket ?
The thinking is the same . But you ’re in a unlike context and coming from a different place . For a street thief , the anteriority – more than sleight or quick fingers– is being capable to monitor where someone ’s attending is . It ’s fascinating . They do n’t so much manipulate attending [ like a illusionist does ] , because they do n’t want to be memorable . But they do need to know where someone ’s attention is . If a someone is focused elsewhere , a thief can put his whole hand in [ a scoop ] and steal .
And what about a magician?You have to supervise the response you ’re take from the person you ’re exploit with and adjust your performance . In the same way that a cinema theatre director would expend a flick crystalline lens to blur out a sure item or habituate a glare , I use sealed movements that describe the eye instinctually .
So , what are some of the tricks a successful pockpocket will use?If you keep eye contact as you approach someone and go to their side , the person will stick very focused on on your boldness and upper physical structure because it ’s alarming to them that you ’re maintain center contact . But if you let out centre contact as you approach from the front and then you abuse to their side , you’re able to use this . If you do n’t want them to focus on something you ’re doing with your hands , just by tilting your head into their personal space , it ’ll draw their attention , and they ’ll need to search at you . I use that when I ’m slip .
That ’s crazy ! Is it safe to gather you in person?Generally , yes.[Laughing]It depends on whether I ’m on or off the clock !
Any other tricks of the swap you do n’t take care sharing?My patronage is basically a business of mistaken laying claim – I create assumptions that calculate like reality and take reward of those . I ’ll tell someone I ’m go to try and steal from them and then challenge them to catch me . Then I ’ll habituate hand movements to make simulated presumption . I ’ll put my script in their scoop , and when it comes out , they ’re expecting that I would have stolen something . Then I create a ruse , by moving my hand in a half - circle . Their eyes will instinctively tail the apparent motion , almost like a cat chase a string– it ’s fascinating .
So , the artifice is in the half - circle?Exactly . If you keep your paw motion in a straight line , the person wo n’t follow it . They ’ll break down to the end location and they ’ll snap back to the sac , and they ’ll catch your other hand if it ’s doing something . But that ’s not the only legerdemain . If I ’m going to steal from someone , I ’ll lock onto what I ’m about to steal , but I wait . I ’ll use statements and spot that make an inner talks so they ’ll second pretend themselves . They may say " I cerebrate he ’s up to this . “ And you may detect that . You develop a sense to detect that .
And when they ’re catch in this interior dialogue , then what?When they have that interior duologue , it inhibit their outside pot , so they ca n’t feel when you ’re pulling something and they ca n’t see it , even their methamphetamine hydrochloride are getting pulled in good order off their face . There ’s a pickpocket who specializes in this constitute Bora . He remove glasses without people ever acknowledge , even though their field of vision has switch .
That sounds incredible . So , is pickpocketing still an art that people are practicing on the streets?Definitely . That ’s what been interesting to me . You have organise teams that have become very prevalent in the US , peculiarly around large sporting outcome – The Super - Bowl , Kentucky Derby , etc . I set myself up to be pickpocketed in Spain . I just wanted to feel the sensation .
How did it feel?Fascinating . Two Gypsy ladies outside of Alhambra lock up a frame on me . One peeress was get hold of inside a bag to pull out some fern leaves and the other was locking up my elbow and trying to steal from behind . I saw them doing it to other people , so I positioned myself so I ’d be in the waiting line for it .
So , what ’s next for you?I’m working with a show calledLeverageon TNT as an adviser , learn them how to do these type of technique on television . I also work with the doer and the writer . And I ’ll be on an installment this crepuscule . Until then , you could catch me atistealstuff.com .
