{"id":5219,"date":"2025-07-10T07:56:01","date_gmt":"2025-07-10T05:56:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/museodellamagia.it\/mago-sales\/biography\/"},"modified":"2026-06-08T08:33:47","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T06:33:47","slug":"biography","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/museodellamagia.it\/en\/mago-sales\/biography\/","title":{"rendered":"Biography"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Mago Sales<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Mago Sales, stage name of Don Silvio Mantelli, was born in Novello (CN) on 22 January 1944.<\/p>

A Salesian priest and illusionist, he is known for his volunteer missions around the world: through magic, Don Silvio has conceived projects and shows to bring a smile to children in difficulty in Africa, America and Asia.<\/p>

From a young age he considered school “a bitter medicine” and realised almost immediately that the path leading to magic would have more than a few surprises in store for him.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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The beginnings<\/h2>

In 1955, already pursuing his Salesian studies, he was deeply struck by a circus that stopped for a performance right in Novello (CN): he even decided to run away with them, but the adventure proved unsuccessful as he was carried back home after just a few hours.<\/p>

In 1957 he staged his first magic show under the name of Mago Mandrake.<\/p>

In 1963 he entered as a Salesian novice at Monte Oliveto, near Pinerolo: here he came across a manual on conjuring tricks that profoundly marked his journey as a magician.
He soon began staging his first shows for the parish youth group.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The Magic Circle<\/h2>

He moved to the Canavese area for three years, graduating and becoming a primary school teacher.During those years he founded his first magic circle, dedicating it to the founder of the Salesians, Don Bosco.<\/p>

In 1966 he joined the Italian Magic Circle in Turin, where he met some great artists of the conjuring art.<\/p>

In 1969 he moved for four years near Naples, studying Theology and learning the three-card trick and the shell game.
He subsequently returned to Piedmont, spending time in Saluzzo and Cuneo, and graduating in Pedagogy in Turin.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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The shows<\/h2>

In 1983 he spent a period in Monte Carlo working as an assistant director for two television programmes: “Gli affari sono affari” and “Bim Bum Bambino”.Shortly after he concluded this experience to move to Grugliasco (TO), resuming his work as a teacher and magician.<\/p>

In 1983 he spent a period in Monte Carlo working as an assistant director for two television programmes: “Gli affari sono affari” and “Bim Bum Bambino”.Shortly after he concluded this experience to move to Grugliasco (TO), resuming his work as a teacher and magician.<\/p>

In 1992, with the help of Arturo Brachetti, he staged his first major magic show, a comedy entitled “Il giro del mondo in 80 minuti” (Around the World in 80 Minutes).He soon made the project a reality, beginning to travel the world among African villages, the Andes, Indonesia and Brazil, bringing with him tricks, costumes, a magic wand and a top hat.These were the years of great shows aimed at people in need: most notably those performed in front of Mother Teresa of Calcutta.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Whoever saves a child,
helps a piece of sky
to light up the world<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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