 Pitchford was also interested in magic, as he was the great-nephew of Richard Valentine Pitchford, a magician known by his stage name Cardini.His grandfather died when Randy was only two years old, but the stories of Richard's magic performances told by his widow inspired Randy to pursue magic as well.After high school, Pitchford went to University of California, Los Angeles, where his future wife encouraged him to pursue a career in entertainment.