Gaspar Faliero is a character in the Max Quick Series of books.
A world-famous magician before the turn of the century, Faliero met an Indian Fakir who demonstrated 'true magic' to him. Amazed, Faliero spent years studying with the Fakir and then re-emerged into Europe with a new act: He would do real magic, but pretend that he was engaged in trickery. The illusion would be that everything was an illusion.
Later he was recruited by Madame Europa Romani to become part of the House of the Hidden Hand in 1912 New York City, an organization dedicated to finding and destroying The Machine.