WATCH: LI Mentalist Brings Unique Brand Of Magic To Wow LI Audiences

FRANKLIN SQUARE, NY — Long Islander Gary Ferrar brings his unique brand of magic to parties across the area.

"Most magicians start quite early," Ferrar, of Franklin Square, said. "I definitely had a passion and a hobby for it. My first trick was technically a kindergarten show and tell."

Ferrar, whose focus is as a mentalist, didn't plan on a career with mind-bending illusions. He went to college for theater, where he had designs on acting and directing.

"I realized that magic was a great way to be a little more in control of your destiny," Ferrar told Patch. "I always had a bit of an entrepreneurial spirit, so I revisited magic in my 20s."

He performs corporate events and smaller parties for all ages.

As far as the difference between magician and mentalist, Ferrar said it's simply marketing. "They are, essentially, on my end, the same exact thing."

One reason why he was drawn to mentalism was due to the "possibility of failure," Ferrar said. "At any moment this could go wild. People enjoy that. They enjoy being on the edge of their seat."

Ferrar recently appeared at the Sarah Grace Foundation for Children With Cancer's Second Annual Evening of Magic. He got his start performing in hospital pediatric units.

"My earliest gigs, I would go to five hospitals a week," he said. "It was kind of low risk for them because they were just super excited that I wasn't a doctor. It was a great way to try some stuff out, put a smile on their faces and get them a little bit distracted from everything else that was going on."

Watch the full "Patch Weekly Spotlight" interview with Gary Ferrar below.