It’s a wonder that Larry Scott never got his ass kicked — the guy’s been clowning people since the age of 13. As the owner of the gags, magic and entertainment shop Havin’ A Party, with locations in Bay Ridge and Canarsie, Scott is a bona fide authority on practical jokes and tomfoolery. So this week, on the eve of April Fools Day, Scott checked in with GO Brooklyn’s Joe Pompeo to see what kind of pranks residents might fall victim to this year.
Q: What gags are in style right now?
A: Shock items are number one. For instance, you have a ballpoint pen that when you press down to write, you get a shock. There’s a shock magic marker, chewing gum, a microphone and also some newer stuff, like a shock mp3 player.
Q: What are your most popular items of all time?
A: The classic stuff is the hand buzzer, chewing gum that snaps down on your finger when you go to take a piece, eyeglasses that have a big nose, mustache and eyebrows; the ugly teeth is a classic. Also, baseballs and rocks that make it look like your car window has been smashed. Phony lottery tickets came out about eight years ago. They scratch off and you think you’ve won $10,000, and some people actually go into a store to claim it without reading the back of the card.
Q: That’s cruel.
A: Yeah, that one is pretty rough. I once DJ-ed a bar mitzvah, where I threw some of the fake lotto tickets on the table (I let the kid’s mother know of course). During the cocktail hour, this one woman started jumping up and down screaming, “I won! I won!” Then we watched her go from smiling to looking really pissed off. She came over to us and said, “That was not funny!” The mother and I were hysterically laughing.
Q: What are some pranks you’ve played on people?
A: When we were younger we’d do crazy stuff like put Saran wrap over a toilet seat. That’s pretty rough, especially when you really have to go. We also used to go into clubs, at the time they were disco clubs, and we’d take a guy by the shoulders and spin him around while he was urinating.
Q: Sounds like you could have gotten into some serious fights.
A: Well you had to have a lot of friends with you. You couldn’t do it by yourself. Fortunately, I always hung out with some pretty big guys.
Q: You’re a magician. What’s the most daring trick you’ve pulled off?
A: I got married!
