Acts of Violet(68)
The nineteen-year-old was last seen at the Worthington Estate four days ago, where a modest gathering was held to celebrate patriarch Jeremiah Worthington’s sixtieth birthday. Margolis was last seen with the other thirty partygoers getting a tour of the wine cellar.
“One moment, she was beside us, and the next she was nowhere to be seen,” said matriarch Gertrude Worthington. “We searched every inch of that place, but it was as if she vanished into thin air.”
Mr. Margolis has offered two hundred dollars for information leading to the discovery of his daughter’s whereabouts.
THE FINCHLEY FREE PRESS
Flower Tycoon Buys Historic Willow Glen Estate
By Rhonda Breslin
APRIL 11, 1978
In 1902 Jeremiah Worthington, who made his fortune in iron at the helm of the Finchley Mining Company, commissioned a private residence to be constructed for his family in Willow Glen. The palatial property, situated on six gated acres, became known as the Worthington Estate and was considered one of the most lavish homes in Southern New Jersey in subsequent decades. That was until March 1975, when the Finchley Mining Company declared bankruptcy, two months after a tunnel collapse resulted in the death of seventeen miners and led to an investigation into mining safety regulations. Shortly thereafter, the Worthingtons fled the country, abandoning their estate, which has remained vacant ever since. While it has been a challenge to secure a buyer for such a sizable property, it was recently sold to entrepreneur Thurman Rex Witkin.
Witkin is the founder and president of TRF, one of America’s largest importers and manufacturers of artificial flowers. Originally from Willow Glen, he is eager to return to his hometown and give back to the community. Local permit registrations show plans for part of the property to be converted into a theater.
“I am committed to advancing local enrichment in South Jersey,” Mr. Witkin said in an official statement, “and the former Worthington Estate is an ideal property to develop into a performing arts center. Instead of benefiting one wealthy family, this space can serve as a local cultural hub, benefiting Willow Glen and its surrounding communities through arts education and outreach programs.” Witkin has also been named chairman of the Atlantic County Historic Society and intends to preserve much of the estate’s architecture.
Renovations on the property are scheduled to begin this summer and the theater’s opening has tentatively been announced for the fall of 1979.
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Date: May 24, 2003, at 8:35 AM
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Volk interview
* * *
Stan,
Violet’s publicist reviewed your VV interview and she’d like you to cut a few sections. Frankly, I found the whole thing fascinating, but there are concerns that Violet may come off as “too boring or too batshit.” Agree to disagree, but we made concessions to get this Volk exclusive, so we have to play nice. If that means a shorter cover story, so be it.
Please see attached. I’ve highlighted the sections that need to be cut.
Nice job on this one. Wish we could publish as is.
LK
Leanna Kinkaid
Editor in Chief, PopArk Magazine
NOW YOU SEE HER: THE REAPPEARANCE OF VIOLET VOLK
By Stan Heslin
APRIL 2003
Let’s be honest: historically, magic has not been considered the highest form of entertainment. It’s fine for children’s parties and cruise ships, but generally, magicians have been a step above mimes in public perception. That is, until the mid-1990s, when a young woman came out of seemingly nowhere and elevated magic to a bona fide art form.
Though Violet Volk was frequently in the public eye and maintained a high level of fame, for better or worse, she’s avoided giving any interviews since 1997. It’s a rare feat for a performer to remain so popular while fielding so few media inquiries, but Volk has done it. While she revolutionized stage magic, she also faced her share of controversies over the years. Plenty has been written about Volk’s insanely popular but tumultuous tenure at the Kintana Resort and Hotel, as well as her colorful love life, so we won’t rehash it here.
Instead, we’ll fast-forward to early 2001, when Volk returned to Los Angeles. A smattering of movie and television appearances followed, then she once again did something unexpected: she stepped away from the spotlight entirely. There have been few public sightings of the performer in over a year: no impromptu appearances at weddings or birthday parties, no masquerading as an extra on film or television sets, not even any award show antics [insert “shrinking Violet” pun here].
Volk broke her silence in three surprising ways. She wrote a self-help book, You Are Magic, she announced an extensive tour (billed as “an evening of magical inspiration”), and she agreed to sit down for her first proper interview in five years.
After two flights and an extended rental car drive, I’m nearing Violet’s current residence. She won’t let me name the California town where she currently lives, though I’m allowed to mention it’s a bucolic coastal enclave with stretches of rocky shoreline. It’s on few tourist radars and its residents would like to keep it that way. This place is a far cry from the neon, heat, and hustle of the Vegas Strip. The stone cottage I approach wouldn’t be out of place in Middle Earth and looks more like a guest house or servants’ quarters.