"The Great Manzini" has freed himself from just about every imaginable enclosure: a packing crate that was being lowered into the New York harbor; a mail bag while bound by 30 pairs of cuffs, shackles, collars, and leg irons; and even the Chinese water torture tank in which his idol Houdini died in 1926.

The New York City police have foiled Manzini's attempts on various occasions, once throwing him into Bellevue Hospital's psychiatric division after tried to jump handcuffed from the Brooklyn Bridge without permission, but Manzini continues to perform amazing feats of genius and agility. According to Manzini, "After you've been near death, you appreciate living more."

Producer: Stacy Abramson / Production assistance: Dave Isay / Recording engineer: Roger Kherwoski of KBIA in Columbia, MO / Music: "Minuet in Jazz" by Raymond Scott / Funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the New York State Council on the Arts and the Corporation. "Mario Manzini, Escape Artist" is a co-production with City Lore.

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