Kerr Chicks in Manhattan

Kerr Hatcheries, headquartered in Frenchtown and with hatcheries in four states, were hatching and shipping baby chicks by the millions each year. But in 1934 executives were puzzled by one particular customer.

At least every week this customer ordered 25 chicks to be sent to “Gali-Gali, artist” at an address on 64th Street in Manhattan, an unlikely destination for live poultry. Letters expressing curiosity were sent to that address, but elicited no reply.

Eventually, Kerr vice president J.C. Weisel decided to investigate. He and W. Charles Bottbyl of Kerr's Paterson branch went to the address, which proved to be a nightclub. There they learned that Gali-Gali was a sleight-of-hand artist. When Gali-Gali arrived at the club, the small Egyptian told Bottbyl, “You are interested in the chicken business.”

“But how do you know?” asked Bottbyl.

“Because you carry chickens around with you. Reach into your coat pocket.” Whereupon Bottbyl felt the stir of life in his pocket, reached in and pulled out two live chicks, then a half-dozen more.

Enchanted, they booked Gali-Gali for the Hunterdon County Poultry Association banquet the following week. Weisel boasted to the Del Val News, “Just another use for Kerr chicks.”

The News failed to report what became of the hundreds of chicks after they'd been conjured up by Gali-Gali. But Luxor Gali-Gali (1902-1984) went on to become a major nightclub performer in the United States and Europe in the 1940s and '50s, wearing a fez and loose clothing, pulling live chicks from his costume and making them appear and disappear at will. “Gali-Gali” means “quickly quickly” in his native tongue. His real name was Mahgoub Mohammed Hanafi. He presented his act on “The Ed Sullivan Show” and other TV shows many times.

From "Rick's Frenchtown Encyclopedia"