Chef Anton
Encyclopedia
Chef Anton is the stage name of Anthony S. Riniti (born 1969), a trained chef from the Culinary Institute of America
in Hyde Park, New York
. He is an award-winning expert with the pool cue
, and a noted magician
whose performance includes a unique mixture of magic, hustling
tricks and billiard
trick shots. Because of his unique style, he was the first ever billiard trick shot artist invited to a special evening performance at the noted Magic Castle venue in Hollywood, California. At the Commerce Casino's Legends of 9-Ball Tournament, Chef Anton defeated former world champions and became the first two-time United States Trick Shot Champion of Pool.
, on January 29, 1969, to Anthony and Josephine Riniti. In 1982, when his father retired from the New York City Fire Department
, the family moved to southern California. At the age of 13, Riniti started body building, and five years later, won the 1987 Natural Nationals and then took 2nd place in the Natural Internationals.
He has appeared on television in the TNN
programs "Crook & Chase", "Prime Time Country", Talk Soup
, and ABC's Monday Night Live, and worked as a technical consultant on billiards and magic for ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX networks.
With Whit Haydn
, Chef began the School for Scoundrels in 1996, as an eight-hour course on street scams and as a web-based retail business. School for Scoundrels, taken from the 1960 Terry-Thomas
movie of the same name, is taught over a four week period each November at the Magic Castle in Hollywood. It focuses on the subject of short cons (Three-Card Monte
, Shell game
, Fast and Loose), with students from the fields of magic, law enforcement, gambling, and history. They teach the history, psychology, techniques, and application to magic of these ancient scams.
They have also created a major web resource for their School for Scoundrels students and others interested in the history and methods of short cons, including a store, forum, video and photo gallery, and Scoundrels Wiki site. In 2008, he and Joan Binder created a new Motivational Speaking company called It Ain't Magic, Inc.
Culinary Institute of America
The Culinary Institute of America is a non-profit culinary college located in Hyde Park USA, founded in 1946. The CIA also has branch campuses in St. Helena, California, and San Antonio, Texas, as well as a campus in Singapore. It is a not-for-profit academic institution of higher learning...
in Hyde Park, New York
Hyde Park, New York
Hyde Park is a town located in the northwest part of Dutchess County, New York, United States, just north of the city of Poughkeepsie. The town is most famous for being the hometown of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt....
. He is an award-winning expert with the pool cue
Cue stick
A cue stick , is an item of sporting equipment essential to the games of pool, snooker and carom billiards. It is used to strike a ball, usually the...
, and a noted magician
Magic (illusion)
Magic is a performing art that entertains audiences by staging tricks or creating illusions of seemingly impossible or supernatural feats using natural means...
whose performance includes a unique mixture of magic, hustling
Hustling
Hustling is the deceptive act of disguising one's skill in a sport or game with the intent of luring someone of probably lesser skill into gambling with the hustler, as a form of confidence trick...
tricks and billiard
Billiards
Cue sports , also known as billiard sports, are a wide variety of games of skill generally played with a cue stick which is used to strike billiard balls, moving them around a cloth-covered billiards table bounded by rubber .Historically, the umbrella term was billiards...
trick shots. Because of his unique style, he was the first ever billiard trick shot artist invited to a special evening performance at the noted Magic Castle venue in Hollywood, California. At the Commerce Casino's Legends of 9-Ball Tournament, Chef Anton defeated former world champions and became the first two-time United States Trick Shot Champion of Pool.
Biography
Riniti was born in the Bronx, New York, United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, on January 29, 1969, to Anthony and Josephine Riniti. In 1982, when his father retired from the New York City Fire Department
New York City Fire Department
The New York City Fire Department or the Fire Department of the City of New York has the responsibility for protecting the citizens and property of New York City's five boroughs from fires and fire hazards, providing emergency medical services, technical rescue as well as providing first response...
, the family moved to southern California. At the age of 13, Riniti started body building, and five years later, won the 1987 Natural Nationals and then took 2nd place in the Natural Internationals.
He has appeared on television in the TNN
Spike TV
Spike is an American cable television channel. It launched on March 7, 1983 as The Nashville Network , a joint venture of WSM, Inc...
programs "Crook & Chase", "Prime Time Country", Talk Soup
Talk Soup
Talk Soup was a television show produced for cable network E! that debuted on January 7, 1991, and aired until August 2002. Talk Soup aired selected clips of the previous day's daily talk shows—ranging from daytime entries like The Jerry Springer Show and to celebrity interview shows like The...
, and ABC's Monday Night Live, and worked as a technical consultant on billiards and magic for ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX networks.
With Whit Haydn
Whit Haydn
Whit "Pop" Haydn is an American magician, the winner of six "Magician of the Year" performing awards from the Magic Castle, the Hollywood clubhouse of the Academy of Magical Arts...
, Chef began the School for Scoundrels in 1996, as an eight-hour course on street scams and as a web-based retail business. School for Scoundrels, taken from the 1960 Terry-Thomas
Terry-Thomas
Thomas Terry Hoar Stevens was a distinctive English comic actor, known as Terry-Thomas. He was famous for his portrayal of disreputable members of the upper classes, especially cads and toffs, with the trademark gap in his front teeth, cigarette holder, smoking jacket, and catch-phrases such as...
movie of the same name, is taught over a four week period each November at the Magic Castle in Hollywood. It focuses on the subject of short cons (Three-Card Monte
Three-card Monte
Three-card Monte, also known as the Three-card marney, Three-card trick, Three-Way, Three-card shuffle, Menage-a-card, Triplets, Follow the lady, Les Trois Perdants , le Bonneteau, Find the lady, or Follow the Bee is a confidence game in which the victim, or mark, is tricked into betting a...
, Shell game
Shell game
The shell game is portrayed as a gambling game, but in reality, when a wager for money is made, it is a confidence trick used to perpetrate fraud...
, Fast and Loose), with students from the fields of magic, law enforcement, gambling, and history. They teach the history, psychology, techniques, and application to magic of these ancient scams.
They have also created a major web resource for their School for Scoundrels students and others interested in the history and methods of short cons, including a store, forum, video and photo gallery, and Scoundrels Wiki site. In 2008, he and Joan Binder created a new Motivational Speaking company called It Ain't Magic, Inc.
Awards
- Two-time United States Trick Shot Champion of Pool
- 1987 Natural Nationals Bodybuilding Champion.
- Twice been nominated for the Magic Castle's "W.C. Fields Bar Magician of the Year" award
- 2008 National Hydrofoiling Champion
- Ranked #1 Trade Show Sales Entertainer by Exhibitor Magazine
Works
- Pool Hustler's Handbook - DVD, Chef Anton, 2010
- Chef Anton Live at Soapy Smith Night - DVD, Chef Anton, 2010
- Chef Anton's Magical Menu of Pool Ball Wizardry - DVD", Chef Anton, 2010
- The Close-Up Magic of Chef Anton - DVD, Chef Anton, 2010
- Pool Hustler's Handbook, Chef Anton, 2002
- Pool Hustler's Cookbook, Chef Anton, 2004
- Chef Anton's Magical Menu of Pool Ball Wizardry, Chef Anton, 1994 VHS
With Whit Haydn
- School for Scoundrels Notes on Three-Card Monte, also VHS and DVD
- School for Scoundrels Notes on the Shell Game—Introduction to the Shell Game, also DVD
- School for Scoundrels Notes on Fast and Loose, also VHS and DVD