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Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/ magician-brazil-national-celebrity-d31f547a 1. Lifestyle ----------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Careers How a Blacklisted American Magician Became a Hero in Brazil Val Valentino was shunned for sharing the secrets behind his tricks. That has made him a star in his new home. Share Resize --------------------------------------------------------------------- Listen (1 min) Val Valentino rose to fame in the 1990s through a hit TV series showing audiences how to levitate and saw a woman in half.Val Valentino rose to fame in the 1990s through a hit TV series showing audiences how to levitate and saw a woman in half. By Samantha Pearson / Photographs by Tommaso Protti for WSJ SAO PAULO--Val Valentino spent years enduring boos and the occasional death threat as a magician bent on exposing the secrets behind the world's most popular tricks. Today the 68-year-old from California is treated like a hero. Copyright (c)2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8