Yes friends, today we took a step back in time to the days of the Roaring Twenties when prohibition was in and Alphonse Capone was king. We decided that no trip to Chicago was complete without taking the Untouchables Tour, a two hour bus ride through the old neighborhoods where Capone, O’Banion, Weiss and Moran rules their turf with lead and the streets were littered with those who went against them.
Our getaway bus.
The brewery where Al Capone made his first beer. It was legal because he boiled all the alcohol off creating a legal drink called maltine. Then he delivered it to his speakeasys where it was spiked with a syringe of 1800 proof grain alcohol. Thus the term spiking or needling.
The Biograph Theater where famous bankrobber John Dillinger was alledgedly gunned down by Melvin Purvis and the FBI betrayed by the infamous Lady In Red.
Dillinger collapsed on this manhole cover at the entrance to the alley.
On this vacant lot once stood the garage where the infamous St. Valentines Day Massacre took place leaving seven of Bugs Moran’s gang dead. Moran himself only escaped by a fluke. Moran had said just before the killings, “I’ll take on Capone any time.” Almost famous last words.
Patched bullet holes from 45 slugs fired from Thompson submachine guns at Hymie Weiss in front of the Holy Name Cathedral. Weiss died on the church steps. He had recently told Al Capone, “I got nothin’ to do with you till the day I stand over your head with a pistol.” I get the idea that these people should have learned that Big Al did not take insults well.
After the tour we stopped for the original deep dish pizza at Gino’s East where you can write your name on the wall.
This sounds cheesy but we had a blast and if you are ever in Chicago it is a must do item. Quite educational and since I have studied this era from childhood it was right up my alley.
Today the temperature soared to the high 90’s due to the hurricane’s aftermath pushing warm air north. Hope this does not affect our ability to leave in the morning but we do expect to get soaked on the trip based on rainfall predictions. Cbay needs a bath anyway.
