John Stessel
American magician and mentalist
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
John Stessel is an American magician, mentalist, and illusion designer based in New York City.[1][2]
John Stessel | |
|---|---|
| Occupations | Magician, mentalist, illusion designer |
| Website | johnstessel |
Career
Stessel began performing magic as a child and created Flush, a linking rubber band effect, while in high school; it was later released commercially by the magic publisher Vanishing Inc.[3][4]
In 2014, Stessel appeared as a competitor on the Syfy series Wizard Wars.[5] He later served as head magic consultant for The Magician, a show featuring Dan White produced by theory11 at the NoMad Hotel in New York City.[3][6][7]
In 2019, The New York Times noted Stessel's Saturday-night performances at the Red Rabbit Club in Manhattan's Meatpacking District, writing that he "does everything but pull a red rabbit out of a hat."[1] In 2026, Flaunt reported the announcement of his residency at the Moxy Chelsea hotel, described as "a close-up evening of contemporary magic and mind-reading."[8]
Stessel has been a recurring guest on Elvis Duran and the Morning Show.[9][10]
In 2026, Stessel served as magic producer on The Puzzle Room with David Kwong, a Netflix video podcast hosted by magician David Kwong and produced by Pod People, which premiered in May 2026.[11][12]
Magic for Shelter Dogs
Beginning in 2018, Stessel gained attention for performing magic tricks for dogs at animal shelters to encourage adoptions. A holiday video produced with TBS at the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter in New York was covered by People and HuffPost.[13][14] The project, produced with St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center, was a finalist in the Shorty Impact Awards nonprofit partnership category.[15]
In 2023, the project was featured on ABC's Good Morning America and covered by Newsweek, which reported that Stessel had spent five years performing for adoptable dogs.[16][2]
