Brian Zembic
Encyclopedia
Brian Zembic, nicknamed the Wiz, was born , is a magician and high-stakes gambler specializing in blackjack
and backgammon
. In the late 90s he became famed as a man who would do anything to win a bet. His most famous wager was in 1996 when he agreed to receive breast implants and keep them for one year in return for $US 100,000 (US$ in ). The year passed and he won the bet but he became accustomed to the breasts and didn't have them removed.
The two established a contract to work out the details. Brian would pay for the operation to have 38C implants placed under his pec muscles
. Jobo placed the money with a third party to guarantee payment if Zembic won the bet. For a few months in 1996 he didn't follow through with the wager but in the fall of 1996 Zembic lost a large amount of money playing the stock market and sought out a surgeon to go through with the procedure in order to win the $100,000 prize to cover his losses.
Through his gambling contacts he found a cosmetic surgeon who was also a gambler and after a few games of backgammon
Zembic was able to get the $4,500 surgery in exchange for forgiving the doctor's debt. In October 1996 Zembic underwent the breast augmentation surgery in New York
. Jobo upon hearing that Zembic had undergone surgery offered to buy out the bet by paying $50,000 to cancel the wager but Zembic refused and said he would see the wager through for the full year and full $100,000. In October 1997 he fulfilled the arrangements of the bet and Jobo deposited the full $100,000 into a Swiss bank account.
After the one-year mark passed he became a celebrity of sorts because of the wager and that he hadn't had the breasts removed. In 1999 his tale was the title feature in a book of short stories called The man with the $100,000 breasts and other gambling stories. Zembic and his breasts have even been photographed by famed fashion photographer, Helmut Newton
. As of 2006 he still has the implants.
in a ping pong game where the winner, Zembic, took $14,000. On another bet he slept the night in New York's Central Park
with $20,000 on his person. He also lived in a box for a week to win another $25,000.
where he lost to Jason Geraci, Michelle Richards, "MIT" Mike Aponte
, and Eric Kiel (winner of a million dollar tournament) in round 9. Zembic is also a professional magician.
He was seen by millions as the guy with the band-aids on his nipples on The Man Show
. For this feat, the hosts paid Brian $100. On that show, he also recounted his experience living in a bathroom for a month in exchange for $15,000.
Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Zembic appeared on the popular Ripley's TV show in 2001.
bought the rights to his story. The script has been completed and various stars have been attached like Drew Carey
and David Duchovny
. Zembic says part of the reason he hasn't had the implants removed is that “... every year when they renewed the rights, they kept saying, ‘Keep the tits so you can appear at the end of the movie. It’ll be really cool.’” But David Higgins the producer attached to the film says, “I’m not insisting that he keep his implants in; it’s completely up to him,” he says. “It would be great for marketing, of course, but we can always find another way.”
Blackjack
Blackjack, also known as Twenty-one or Vingt-et-un , is the most widely played casino banking game in the world...
and backgammon
Backgammon
Backgammon is one of the oldest board games for two players. The playing pieces are moved according to the roll of dice, and players win by removing all of their pieces from the board. There are many variants of backgammon, most of which share common traits...
. In the late 90s he became famed as a man who would do anything to win a bet. His most famous wager was in 1996 when he agreed to receive breast implants and keep them for one year in return for $US 100,000 (US$ in ). The year passed and he won the bet but he became accustomed to the breasts and didn't have them removed.
The Breast bet
In the summer of 1996 Zembic was gambling in a high stakes game when the conversation turned to women's breast implants. One of his friends, another gambler named Jobo, had the opinion that having implants in order to attract men was a crazy thing to do. Zembic disagreed and said that it wasn't a serious event and that the consequences were small. An argument ensued and the two agreed that they would enter into a wager where Zembic would receive breast implants and if he kept them in for a year he would win $US 100,000 (US$ in ).The two established a contract to work out the details. Brian would pay for the operation to have 38C implants placed under his pec muscles
Pectoralis major muscle
The pectoralis major is a thick, fan-shaped muscle, situated at the chest of the body. It makes up the bulk of the chest muscles in the male and lies under the breast in the female...
. Jobo placed the money with a third party to guarantee payment if Zembic won the bet. For a few months in 1996 he didn't follow through with the wager but in the fall of 1996 Zembic lost a large amount of money playing the stock market and sought out a surgeon to go through with the procedure in order to win the $100,000 prize to cover his losses.
Through his gambling contacts he found a cosmetic surgeon who was also a gambler and after a few games of backgammon
Backgammon
Backgammon is one of the oldest board games for two players. The playing pieces are moved according to the roll of dice, and players win by removing all of their pieces from the board. There are many variants of backgammon, most of which share common traits...
Zembic was able to get the $4,500 surgery in exchange for forgiving the doctor's debt. In October 1996 Zembic underwent the breast augmentation surgery in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Jobo upon hearing that Zembic had undergone surgery offered to buy out the bet by paying $50,000 to cancel the wager but Zembic refused and said he would see the wager through for the full year and full $100,000. In October 1997 he fulfilled the arrangements of the bet and Jobo deposited the full $100,000 into a Swiss bank account.
After the one-year mark passed he became a celebrity of sorts because of the wager and that he hadn't had the breasts removed. In 1999 his tale was the title feature in a book of short stories called The man with the $100,000 breasts and other gambling stories. Zembic and his breasts have even been photographed by famed fashion photographer, Helmut Newton
Helmut Newton
Helmut Newton, born Helmut Neustädter was a German-Australian photographer. He was a "prolific, widely imitated fashion photographer whose provocative, erotically charged black-and-white photos were a mainstay of Vogue and other publications."-Early life:Newton was born in Berlin, the son of Klara...
. As of 2006 he still has the implants.
Other wagers
Although Zembic is a notorious gambler, "the ‘breast bet’ remains the most stupid he’s ever accepted." But he has taken part in other wagers including one for $14,000 when he lived in a bathroom for a week before the people he took the bet with bought him out for $7000. He once played famous poker player, Doyle BrunsonDoyle Brunson
Doyle F. Brunson is an American professional poker player who has played professionally for over 50 years. He is the first two-time World Series of Poker main event champion to win consecutively, a Poker Hall of Fame inductee, and the author of several books on poker.Brunson is the first player to...
in a ping pong game where the winner, Zembic, took $14,000. On another bet he slept the night in New York's Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
with $20,000 on his person. He also lived in a box for a week to win another $25,000.
Other work
On March 25th, 2005 Zembic played in the Season 2 of World Series of BlackjackWorld Series of Blackjack
The World Series of Blackjack is a televised blackjack tournament created and produced by the cable network GSN. It is a closed tournament; players are either invited to play or can attempt to win a spot via a satellite tournament. Rounds are edited into 1-hour episodes and broadcast on GSN...
where he lost to Jason Geraci, Michelle Richards, "MIT" Mike Aponte
Mike Aponte
Mike Aponte also known as MIT Mike is a professional blackjack player and a former member of the MIT Blackjack Team. Aponte was one of the leaders of a team of MIT students that legally won millions at blackjack tables around the world by counting cards. He is one of the main characters, "Jason...
, and Eric Kiel (winner of a million dollar tournament) in round 9. Zembic is also a professional magician.
Public appearances
The Man ShowThe Man Show
The Man Show is an American comedy television show on Comedy Central. It was created in 1999 by its two original co-hosts, Jimmy Kimmel and Adam Carolla, and their executive producer Daniel Kellison.-Format:...
He was seen by millions as the guy with the band-aids on his nipples on The Man Show
The Man Show
The Man Show is an American comedy television show on Comedy Central. It was created in 1999 by its two original co-hosts, Jimmy Kimmel and Adam Carolla, and their executive producer Daniel Kellison.-Format:...
. For this feat, the hosts paid Brian $100. On that show, he also recounted his experience living in a bathroom for a month in exchange for $15,000.
Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Zembic appeared on the popular Ripley's TV show in 2001.
Untitled movie
In a 2005 interview Brian Zembic stated that starting in 1999 there was a movie in the works about his story. Fox Searchlight PicturesFox Searchlight Pictures
Fox Searchlight Pictures, established in 1998, is a film division of Fox Filmed Entertainment alongside the larger Fox studio 20th Century Fox...
bought the rights to his story. The script has been completed and various stars have been attached like Drew Carey
Drew Carey
Drew Allison Carey is an American actor, singer, comedian, photographer, sports executive, and game show host. After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps and making a name for himself in stand-up comedy, Carey eventually gained popularity starring on his own sitcom, The Drew Carey Show, and serving as...
and David Duchovny
David Duchovny
David William Duchovny is an American actor, writer and director. He has won Golden Globe awards for his work as FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder on The X-Files and as Hank Moody on Californication.-Early life:...
. Zembic says part of the reason he hasn't had the implants removed is that “... every year when they renewed the rights, they kept saying, ‘Keep the tits so you can appear at the end of the movie. It’ll be really cool.’” But David Higgins the producer attached to the film says, “I’m not insisting that he keep his implants in; it’s completely up to him,” he says. “It would be great for marketing, of course, but we can always find another way.”