toria wrote:The mob used to go to Tom's Steakhouse in Melrose Park. I believe it still exists. I doubt if any mobsters will be there because as others say its mostly been shut down. In recent years they went to the Loon Cafe in River Grove but I believe that is out of business.

Nope. Nothing there but bland steak the last time I went.

Binko wrote:
Oh, boo! I prefer having drinks at the Hancock, but that Sears/Willis Tower transparent box thing is pretty freaking cool, if you ask me. Hell, I've paid to go up there, by myself, no tourists in tow and thought it was worth it.

I have a fear of heights and my family does not drink. They smoke like chimneys though. If they drank at all it might actually make going to the Sears Tower a hell of a lot more tolerable.

As a person who in fact happens to be of Italian heritage, I am deeply offended by the self-righteous would-be-PC nonsense the original poster's light-hearted request has elicited. More than offended - indeed, my sense of self-worth is damaged to the very core of its, uh, whatever the core of a sense of self-worth is called.

Note to OP - Just be sure to stay away from the Green Mill on Sundays!!!

Not all the mob was Italian. There were others too in the outfit. I do not think anything posted here was meaning to denigrate any ethnic group. I think the request of the out of towners is kind of silly and if they were my guests I would tell them the outfit does not really exist any more and suggest we go to either a good Italian restaurant that has some old school atmosphere or otherwise a steak house like Erie cafe or Gene and Georgettis.

Muttster wrote:
Actually I have read the posts and I had no intent of attacking anyone. My issue is with the concept of being offended and what I see as its over usage. What I have been seeing more and more is that instead of disagreeing with an idea, concept, historical practice and the like, we are now personally offended by. Trust me, I have seen and experienced my share of stereotypes and while I perceive those who draw sweeping generalizations as misguided at best, it doesn't reach my level of offensiveness. We obviously are different in that respect. My concern is that when someone levies the "o" word in a discussion, it ends the conversation for everyone and limits responses from those who have a different opinion from the offended one.

I never said I was offended. Don't put words in my mouth, bud. I simply explained why someone else might be. And I explained in detail why someone might disagree with the motives and/or implications of the OP's request. Summarily dismissing a person's opinion because he or she is offended by something that is actually offensive is what diminishes the conversation.

KajmacJohnson wrote:I have a fear of heights and my family does not drink. They smoke like chimneys though. If they drank at all it might actually make going to the Sears Tower a hell of a lot more tolerable.

This made me laugh probably more than it should have. I have a soft spot for good ol' Sears. As a Chicago born-and-bred native, I've only been up there 3 times as far as I remember (oh, wait, I've worked jobs at the Metropolitan Club there a couple times, too.) , but I've become quite enamored with the "skybox" or whatever they call it. It's a clever twist, and I like it. Still, the Hancock is the deal for me. No fee to go up to the bar (94th? 96th? I can't remember). And the drinks aren't any more expensive than at O'Hare.

Binko wrote:Still, the Hancock is the deal for me. No fee to go up to the bar (94th? 96th? I can't remember). And the drinks aren't any more expensive than at O'Hare.

The bar is called "The Signature Lounge at the 96th", and the restaurant "The Signature Room at the 95th". signatureroom.com

BR wrote:Here's the original request:

hoppy2468 wrote:I have friends that will soon be visiting from Europe. . . .
They want to eat somewhere where there might be mobsters present. . . .

Here's the problem with how I see this search playing out: tourist visits a restaurant where s/he hopes to see mobsters. Based upon the recommendations above, this restaurant is likely to be an Italian restaurant. How will the tourists know who's a mobster? Well, they'll look around the restaurant and quietly mention to one another: "he looks like a mobster," "she looks like a mobster's wife."

These visitors are going to have vivid imaginations no matter what,probably based on Hollywood portrayals. They'll see a guy in a knit shirt that resembles Paul Sorvino in Goodfellas and their minds will be off and running no matter what.

If there are no ethnic stereotypes associated with this request and the recommendations, why have so many of the responses suggested Italian restaurants?

The fact of the matter is that the majority of mobsters were of Italian descent and thus were the leading characters in a slew of Hollywood mob movies. What some people tend to ignore is that they were a microscopic part of the Italian population as a whole. The overwhelming majority of Italians came to this country,worked hard,never violated any laws,and raised law abiding families. Unfortunately,going to work every day,obeying the law,and minding your own business isn't going to grab headlines that lining up 7 men in a garage on St Valentine's Day and machine gunning them to death does.

nsxtasy wrote:

Binko wrote:Still, the Hancock is the deal for me. No fee to go up to the bar (94th? 96th? I can't remember). And the drinks aren't any more expensive than at O'Hare.

The bar is called "The Signature Lounge at the 96th", and the restaurant "The Signature Room at the 95th". signatureroom.com

Yeah, the Signature Room on the 95th is the one that I remember, and I knew the bar was either one floor up or down, which is how I happened upon the 94th or 96th.

Well, if it's gangsters they want, there's always 121 N. LaSalle St.

Ba-dum-bum.

As I was reading this thread it dawned on me that some of this interest in "the outfit" and gangsters could be connected to Boardwalk Empire...Al Capone is a featured character you know

Unfortunately,going to work every day,obeying the law,and minding your own business isn't going to grab headlines that lining up 7 men in a garage on St Valentine's Day and machine gunning them to death does.

. . . the target of which, of course, was a bunch of Irishmen. Perhaps while on the North Side a visit to Mrs. Murphy & Sons would be a propos.

If you want a real Outfit hangout I would have said Horwaths in Elmwood Park, but closed ~10 years back.

I know of a few current restaurants but personally I think you are better off with the other recommendations in this thread. Not like anyone would know the difference between one old guy or another. Today's Outfit is not "Goodfellas"...

Binko wrote:

KajmacJohnson wrote:I have a fear of heights and my family does not drink. They smoke like chimneys though. If they drank at all it might actually make going to the Sears Tower a hell of a lot more tolerable.

This made me laugh probably more than it should have. I have a soft spot for good ol' Sears. As a Chicago born-and-bred native, I've only been up there 3 times as far as I remember (oh, wait, I've worked jobs at the Metropolitan Club there a couple times, too.) , but I've become quite enamored with the "skybox" or whatever they call it. It's a clever twist, and I like it. Still, the Hancock is the deal for me. No fee to go up to the bar (94th? 96th? I can't remember). And the drinks aren't any more expensive than at O'Hare.

I like this idea. Makes for a good date night with hubby. Thanks.

An alternative is the "safe house" in Milwaukee.
My father, a "DOD" named person, went into hysterics when I brought him there years ago.
Apparently several retired folks from the Intelligence field left markers.

"supposedly" there is a retirement "association" in upper Wisconsin that was set up for the sole reason to run to Canada in case of exposure/legal action/etc.

I just saw on groupon that they have a Chicago Crime Tour. Perhaps this would be a worthwhile alternative.

For the OP, check out this link, there's a bunch of restaurants included, some formerly frequented by Joey the Clown Lombardo:

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&oe=UTF8&msa=0&msid=111378707371344622739.000439a5804352a9425ba


The two places I remember as being frequented or run by the Mob (allegedly) were Orlando's on 63rd St between Pulaski & Cicero; and Capuccinos, a small coffee shop in Berwyn/Oak Park area. Both are closed. Both had guys in suits with pinky rings, etc. Not sure if they were real or not though

I don't know nothing about no "Outfit" here, but when I go to Bruna's, it's like my old neighborhood in Jersey.
A beautiful, tight bar with booths of guys in matching track warmups mixed in with guys in even better matching 3-piece suits. Espresso is the beverage of choice. Dozens of eyes check you out before you get to the dining room. Italian TV is always on usually a soccer game.
Ask for an amaro and they don't look at you like you're an idiot.
One of my favorites.

I took my son on one of those gangster tours of Chicago years ago. We both got a big kick out of it. Great history, the tour guys did their best to be "one of the boys". I think your guests would love it.

MLS wrote:I don't know nothing about no "Outfit" here, but when I go to Bruna's, it's like my old neighborhood in Jersey.
A beautiful, tight bar with booths of guys in matching track warmups mixed in with guys in even better matching 3-piece suits. Espresso is the beverage of choice. Dozens of eyes check you out before you get to the dining room. Italian TV is always on usually a soccer game.
Ask for an amaro and they don't look at you like you're an idiot.
One of my favorites.

Well, MLS...don't know about 'dozens', because in the front room at Bruna's there are only maybe 10 bar stools max, and three or four 4-tops. OK, maybe I'm wrong--20 eyes at the bar & t'irty-two at the tables. That's dozens, I guess...

But Bruna's bar IS a gem. Spent many wonderful evenings there, either waiting for a table to open up, or sipping an after-dinner Sambuca compliments of Luciano. And it is reminiscent of neighborhood joints I've visited in Boston or Philly. Too few of them left, sadly.