Reply #10: To quote my post from another thread...

[Speck Tater]

I was a faithful reader of his Scientific American column. He did an article (I don't remember exactly when) on the N-degrees of separation phenomenon, where you try to discover how many steps away your are from a certain person. I was working in a Los Angles area computer store at the time and I mentioned the article to a regular customer of mine. He had also read the article. I said to him "I wonder how many steps it would take me to reach Martin Gardner?" My customer smiled and said "I could introduce you to my Uncle Martin." On his next visit to the store he brought in a photo of him, as a child, sitting on Martin Gardner's lap.

I don't remember the guy's name. I wish I did. All I recall is he had some connection with that magic club in Hollywood. He once brought a really old guy into the computer store named Vernon or Verner (I think. I don't remember his last name.) who showed us a bunch of amazing close-up magic tricks. That was a hoot.