Stutz Slinghi is a magician who performs at Binghi’s Market in Dadeland. His magic shows have always drawn large crowds of potential customers to keep the famed flea market in business.
Alas, Slinghi is no stranger to controversy. There have been several noteable events over the years that has stained Slinghi’s reputation as a wholesome family entertainer.
The Illusion City fiasco is a shining example. It started out innocently enough as a reward from owner Khatoosh Binghi for years of bringing crowds to his flea market. Originally the reward was to have taken form as a small plot of land for constructing an auditorium for Slinghi to perform his magic shows.
But Slinghi had other plans. To him, an auditorium was not enough, no, an entire city lined with trapdoors, secret passageways and mirrors to create an atmosphere of astonishment was sufficient enough to mark Slinghi’s legacy. He needed much more than the funds that were set aside to construct the auditorium, in fact, his proposed Illusion City brought the price tag up to the million dollar mark. Binghi balked and insisted on constructing the auditorium as planned but Slinghi didn’t want to hear of it. A feud ensued and after much bickering, Binghi ditched his initial offering, plans to build the auditorium were cancelled and land turned into an overflow parking lot. The friendship between Slinghi and Binghi was forever strained. Slinghi still performs at the market but his stage mannerisms have been far less enthusiastic as they once were.
And so, Slinghi continues performing to wary crowds unsure what to make of the man on the stage, but, you know what they say, the show must go on.
UPDATE: It appears that Slinghi has been sidelined due to injuries sustained during a recent magic show. Yes, Slinghi continues to perform in spite of controversy and allegation, but it looks like his magic days are over. He was demonstrating what he claims are his powers of levitation and had succeeded in floating several feet off the floor when his gimmicked chair broke and sent him crashing to the floor. He was so humiliated that he vowed to quit performing altogether and returned home to his native India. Since then Binghi’s Market has been struggling and may soon fold without the strong customer base it once had.
UPDATE: It seems that things have soured between Slinghi and Binghi to the point where Slinghi permanently fled the United States to the tiny nation of Punjab, where he became the next Ul Baga, spiritual leader of the Pushtas. Who knew that a mere flea market magician was really a half deity all along. What else will we unearth from the mystery surrounding Stutz Slinghi? Stay tuned.
UPDATE: It appears the joke is on Slinghi once again. It has been revealed that the Pushtas are fictitious nomadic tribe concocted as a means of preventing passage over the mountains leading to Punjab. Anyone attempting to cross the mountains were warned that the Pushtas were waiting with their swords at the ready, which was usually enough to scare them away. To further aid the scare tactics, a fake spiritual leader was chosen and positioned near the mountains to offer spiritual counseling to the Pushtas said to be camping nearby. And Slinghi was desperate enough to take this job as a means of cleaning up his image but only succeeded in staining it further.
MJBDiver.com 