The family home, while humble, may have best typified Al Capone’s Chicago. So it’s got that going for its gangland reputation. The Crystal Ballroom is the site where “Lucky” Luciano hosted a gangster’s convention in 1931, though. Of course, Capone didn’t actually beat rivals to death in that gorgeous room. The eye-popping architectural detail of the Crystal Ballroom is where the iconic baseball bat scene from The Untouchables was filmed. No chance for an assassin to do his dirty work with no lines of sight.įans of Chicago gangster movies will find another of the Blackstone’s spaces familiar. According to the hotel’s own history, Capone frequented the hotel barbershop because it was windowless. Photo by Alex Bean.Ī local landmark known for its glamorous facilities and ties to Presidential politics, the Blackstone Hotel was apparently also a haunt of Alphonse Capone’s. The Blackstone Hotel’s barbershop was a frequent pit-stop for Capone. A contemporary drop ceiling hides the Moorish Revival architectural decoration from sight. Incredibly, the original décor that Capone gazed upon is still there. Capone supplied the illegal booze for thirsty downtown workers in the back of the establishment. Wabash, operated as a legitimate restaurant in the 1920s. The 226 Club, named for the address of 226 S. Capone used the tunnels to avoid any heat. Indeed, according to the staff, a door in the dining room leads to paved-up underground tunnels. Located below the ‘L’ tracks near the Adams/Wabash station, this family-owned restaurant was the site of a Capone-run speakeasy during Prohibition. If The Green Mill is one of the most famous sites from Al Capone’s Chicago, then the Exchequer Restaurant & Pub may be one of the most under-sung. The century-old remnants of a speakeasy hang just feet above the heads of contemporary patrons at the Exchequer. I shared this bloody story in a live-streamed tour a while back – would be more than happy to create more custom content like that for you! 2. Amazingly, Lewis survived and even resumed his singing career after Capone paid for his recovery bills. They proceeded to cut his throat and tongue in the doorway of his Lincoln Park hotel room. Lewis planned to make the switch, so McGurn sent enforcers to Lewis’s residence. McGurn had Lewis under contract to perform at the Green Mill, but a rival gang’s club, the New Rendezvous, offered more money. The other, bloodier, legend concerns the entertainer Joe E. If he (or his men) saw trouble entering, they could scurry into the tunnels below the bar, which ferried them across the street to safety We have frequently designed custom tours that visit this famous juke joint.Īccording to legend, Capone’s favorite booth has unobstructed views of both doorways. Capone henchman “Machine Gun” Jack McGurn ran the joint during Prohibition. The Green Mill Cocktail Lounge is the beating heart of Uptown’s historic entertainment district. Chicagoans have enjoyed drinks and music here since 1907, when it opened as a roadhouse. Let’s kick things off with a venue that still looks, feels, and (most importantly) sounds like it did in Al Capone’s Chicago. The Green Mill, in Uptown, was run by Capone associate “Machine Gun” Jack McGurn during Prohibition. We can also create custom tours and original content about this Chicago topic and countless others. You can join us to experience Chicago’s stories in-person or online. We research stories from Chicago history, architecture and culture like this while developing our live virtual tours, in-person private tours, and custom content for corporate events. Plus, if you want to visit these sites several of them have some pretty awesome historic architecture, too. Valentine’s Day Massacre right around the corner, we thought it was worth finding out which extant buildings were really a part of Al Capone’s Chicago. Similarly, dozens of old buildings in Chicago seem to claim that Capone drank and/or killed someone there. Every sufficiently old building east of the Alleghenies claims that Washington slept there. Oddly, it’s often reminded me of George Washington. Al Capone’s Chicago is a place of myth as much as fact.
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