Bring your Godfather (and your Godmother) to the “There Goes the Neighborhood” Tour of Gangster History, on Sunday, October 19, and stay at the nearby and affordable Best Western Plus Chicago Hotel at Hillside!
Join Mob historian and author John Binder for a bus tour of Oak Park and River Forest houses of famous gangsters including Tony Accardo, Paul Ricca, Sam “Momo” Giancana, “Tough Tony” Capezio, and “Machine Gun Jack” McGurn! Binder will tell the tales of the mobsters’ times in the historic homes and answer questions from the audience.
If you’re from Mars, here is a wholesome summary. Sam Giancana was shot to death at his Oak Park home in 1975. He was linked from everything to the Kennedy assassination to Marilyn Monroe. Tony Accardo, also from Oak Park, was famous for killing mobsters with a baseball bat. His batting average was 1000. Capezio was a bank robber with a .45, Paul Ricca was a knife man and “Machine Gun Jack” preferred . . . machine guns.
John Binder is the author of “The Chicago Outfit.” He was the historical consultant on the A & E Biography of Al Capone and the two hour documentary on the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre on The History Channel.
The “There Goes the Neighborhood” Tour of Gangster History will start at the Oak Park Visitors Center at 1010 West Lake Street. No walking is required. Bullet proof vests are optional. For ticket and more information, call (708) 848-1500.
Best Western Plus Chicago Hotel at Hillside, just minutes from the “There Goes the Neighborhood” Tour of Gangster History, provides free shuttle service to and from O’Hare Airport in Chicago. The hotel offers affordable, comfortable rooms, a breakfast bar and restaurant and much more. The hotel is pet friendly and offers AAA rates.