why do so many people from cicero

[datasuspect]

think they have some kind of connection to al capone?

i remember when i rented the studio at 50XX W Cermak in 1995. The formerly elegant "DeLuxe" and "Elite" apartments.

when i moved in, they were thoroughly dilapidated, but cheap, and the 4th floor studio had french doors overlooking a small balcony suitable for plants (but which overlooked the alley), original built in wood cabinets with leaded glass and small pinkish crystal knobs, crystal door knobs, and ceramic bath and kitchen fixtures. and one of those claw foot tubs.

anyway, the leasing person told me this building housed most of al capone's army when they took over cicero in the early 20th century, in fact, it was three of four blocks away from the former site of the hotel where he had his western HQ.

the guy told me that there was a heavy steel door in the basement, long welded shut that led to tunnels that ran the length of cermak road between 50 ave and cicero ave with entry points for the manifold brothels, casinos, and speakeasies that once lined the street.

he even showed me the door. it was welded shut.

i used to drink a lot back then at a joint called "tiffany's speakeasy" by the cicero ave el stop that was one of the last outfit bars in the area. almost every old wiseguy had some story which connected him to al capone.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. My dear datasuspect!

I suppose they would make a big deal about it since it would be their one claim to fame!

Name-dropping is an old sport...

:shrug:

:hi:

[greatauntoftriplets]

2. And did you not inform Geraldo Rivera about the building's Capone connection???

Just think of him getting through that welded-shut door and what treasure he might have found!!

[Bjornsdotter]

3. Don't go picking on Al

...he supplied the liquor for my great-grandfather's bar. Also stopped by and gave my grandmother a $20 bill when she made her first communion. Gotta love AL...

Cheers

[datasuspect]

4. yeah, it's a beeyooteeful ting

[Nickster]

5. My grandfather used to tell me stories about sitting on Al's knee as a kid.

[Bjornsdotter]

11. My grandmother

...always said how nice and soft spoken he was....and that he really did like kids.

You just never know.

Cheers

[Gidney N Cloyd]

6. It's regional (tho obviously to a lesser degree), too.

Even out in the boonies. There's a steakhouse along the Fox river that claims ties to Capone and is loaded with gangster memorabilia. And growing up we used to drive west to the collar counties and pass a 2-story building at an intersection in the middle of nowhere (still all cornfields at the time) that had been supposedly a Capone bootlegging waystation-- it was tall enough that they could see the feds coming from Chicago plus buyers and suppliers from all directions.

[mitchum]

7. The same way that Jim Morrison "lived" in so many places in Laurel Canyon

[datasuspect]

8. or "puked" on the sunset strip?

[mitchum]

10. There's probably no exaggeration for that

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

9. I have a connection to Al Capone

I have been to Alcatraz. So has he. That is all.

[EstimatedProphet]

12. I swear I thought you were preparing for a dirty limerick

There was a young lady from Cicero...

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

13. A very dear friend grew up in a little bungalow around Austin & Cermak

So I became familiar with the area.

The first time I visited him he asked me, "Wanna see the garage that Al Capone ran his mob from?" I said sure. He took me out back to the alley and started pointing at each garage. "That one. And that one. And that one. And that one..."

He and Joe Mantegna went to high school together. It always makes me smile and think of Cicero whenever I hear Mantegna voicing Fat Tony on the Simpsons.

"I'm afraid I must insist. You see, my wife has been most vocal about da pretzel monies. 'Where's da money?' 'When are you going to get da money?' 'Why aren't you getting da money now?' And so on."