al capone tour chicago

Chicago's Original Gangster Tour

Celebrating over 35 years of showing visitors a bang-up time in chicago.

Experience the original Gangster tour in the comfort of a climate controlled Limo Bus!

• Bus pickup is outside on Clark street between Ohio and Ontario Streets
• Meet the bus 10 minutes prior to tour for check-in. Bus departs on time
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• Advance reservations are strongly recommended
• Tours take place on the Gangster bus and are 1.5 – 2 hours in duration
• Ask about our children 12 and under discount
• Hour Glass 2 Hours

The Original Chicago Gangster Tour

Take a trip back in time to Prohibition-era Chicago to see the hotspots made famous by Al Capone and his enemies and allies.

About Untouchable Tours

Our guides are actors and take on the persona of a 1920’s gangster. Our gangster guides present an accurate account of the crimes and activities that were going on in Chicago during the 1920s and ’30s (Prohibition Era).

You will hear the exploits of Capone, Moran, Dillinger and the rest of the boys on this unforgettable Chicago crime tour ! Some sites included are: the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, the Biograph Theatre, and ​Holy Name Cathedral. The tour is educational but very entertaining with prizes at the end!

Visit iconic stops on the “Untouchable Tour”

Paul Gerke of 12 News Arizona spent the morning with the Gangster Guides Friday, May 3 with his piece “Where is Gerke Going.”

The Gangster Guides at Untouchable Tours worked with The Smithsonian Channel™ on the documentary  Drinks, Crime, and Prohibition,  a two-part series that aired June 11 and June 18. Check with your cable provider for the Smithsonian Channel in your area.

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The 9 best crime tours of Chicago

Explore the seedy underbelly of Chicago on these fascinating crime tours

Chicago is well known for its towering architecture, amazing restaurants  and beautiful beaches , but the city also has a notorious history of Prohibition-era organized crime and violence. Some of Chicago’s most beautiful streets have dark pasts, and you can explore the oftentimes grisly history on a Chicago crime tour. Guides unearth the city’s darkest stories, and some of them even make stops at local restaurants and bars to help set the scene. While the tours may be a bit eerie, some can be experienced on your own schedule, whether in-person or virtually. Experience Chicago's history hidden in plain sight on the best Chicago crime tours.

RECOMMENDED: Check out the full guide to the best Chicago tours

This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our   affiliate   guidelines .

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Best Chicago crime tours

1.  Chicago crime and mob tour

Follow in the footsteps of infamous gangsters like charming bank robber John Dillinger and Polish mobster Hymie Weiss on this bus tour. You’ll hear stories about the who’s who of Chicago organized crime, drive by a few murder locations and spot the historic courthouse where many criminals were thrown in the clink. 

Time Out tip:  Brush up on your crime knowledge for the post-tour quiz. 

2.  Untouchable Tours' original gangster tour

For more than 30 years, Untouchable Tours has been driving tourists back and forth across the city to see Chicago's more unconventional sights, including the staircase in front of a church that’s covering up bullet holes, and the empty lot where the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre took place. The two-hour tour features guides that take on the persona (and snappy garb) of ’20s gangsters. Guides tell the tales of prohibition-era Chicago and what it was like when gangsters like Al Capone, Bugs Moran and Hymie Weiss walked the streets.

Time Out tip:  One to book in advance for. 

3.  Gangsters and ghosts tour in Chicago

The towering skyscrapers and shining facade of Cloud Gate might make the Loop seem glitzy and glamorous, but it was once a hotspot for vice. In the ’20s and ’30s, this nabe was the epicenter of bootlegging and gangbanging in Chicago. Take a walking tour through the area to spy speakeasies, secret underground tunnels and maybe even a ghost or two.

Time Out tip: The meeting point is just outside the Wyndham Hotel – take that as our accommodation suggestion. 

4.  Vice, crime and gangsters in Chicago: A self-guided audio tour

There are endless upsides to taking tours of a city, but there are downsides as well—most notably, not being able to explore at your own pace. That’s not the case with the self-guided Vice, Crime and Gangsters in Chicago tour. The 31-stop audio tour starts at the Dusable Bridge and winds its way through notorious locations in the Loop and River North, including Chicago’s first vice district and the site of the Lager Beer Riot. It’s narrated by professor, urban historian and former journalist Richard Junger.

Time Out tip:  If you want to get familiar with your guide before the tour, have a skim-read of the books he's written on Chicago history. 

5.  Chicago night crimes tour

See the sites of grisly killings under the dark of night on this evening bus tour. You’ll visit the Biograph Theater where Dillinger met his end, the site of the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre and other infamous locations. The bus even stops at a few historic watering holes like Harry Caray's so you can raise a glass to the city's dearly departed criminals.

Time Out tip: Don't worry about trying to snap pics from the window of the bus – photo stops will be granted. 

6.  Lincoln Park hauntings ghost investigation tour

On the surface, ghost tours and crime tours are two separate entities. But how does one become a ghost? Death. And how does someone’s death become notable enough to end up on a tour? It’s got to have some sort of criminal element, right? This ghost investigation tour is led by a paranormal investigator who takes guests through some of the eeriest locales in Lincoln Park, including the site of the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. It also offers an opportunity to use paranormal activity-detecting equipment to help you determine if you just saw a ghost or a very exhausted DePaul student.

Time Out tip:  Keep your eyes peeled for the Victorian woman in white at Lincoln Park Zoo. 

7.  Private Al Capone gangster tour

Al Capone’s trademark look – thick eyebrows, jaunty hat, heavy overcoat and a cigar hanging from his lips – became the basis of the stereotype of the mafia man. Capone got his start in New York as a member of the Five Points Gang before founding the Chicago Outfit and wreaking havoc on the Midwestern city. Follow in his nefarious footsteps on this tour around the city in a private town car – in true mafioso style.

Time Out tip: Get a team of five together to get the best value group ticket. 

8.  Private Chicago Mafia and Blues Evening Tour

After a long night of making dirty deals and plotting the downfall of their enemies, Chicago mobsters used to unwind with some booze and live music at a mafia-friendly bar. You’ll do the same on this private guided tour that hits several historic landmarks before stopping for a drink at a bar formerly owned by Capone himself.

Time Out tip:  Plan this tour around a big night out, as it's a great way to get the party started before hitting the town when everyone's parted ways. 

9.  The Devil in the White City Tour

In addition to a thriving mob community, Chicago was also home to one of the country’s first known serial killers: H. H. Holmes. The insurance scammer and con man lured hundreds of people to the three-story hotel that would later be known as the Murder Castle: a labyrinth of trap doors, peepholes, dead-end stairways, gas chambers and crematorium that he used to murder his victims and dispose of their remains. To this day, authorities still don’t know how many people he might have killed. Learn the disturbing facts of the case on a Weird Chicago walking and bus tour.

Time Out tip: There's a restroom on board – always a win. 

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Al Capone’s Chicago: 5 Sites He Actually Knew

• February 13, 2019

Al Capone’s Chicago is a place of myth as much as fact. Oddly, it’s often reminded me of George Washington. Every sufficiently old building east of the Alleghenies claims that Washington slept there . Similarly, dozens of old buildings in Chicago seem to claim that Capone drank and/or killed someone there. With the 90th anniversary of the St. 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. Plus, if you want to visit these sites several of them have some pretty awesome historic architecture, too.

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 . You can join us to experience Chicago’s stories in-person or online. We can also create  custom tours and original conten t about this Chicago topic and countless others.

1. The Green Mill

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 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. Capone henchman “Machine Gun” Jack McGurn ran the joint during Prohibition. We have frequently designed custom tours that visit this famous juke joint.

According to legend, Capone’s favorite booth has unobstructed views of both doorways. 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

The other, bloodier, legend concerns the entertainer Joe E. Lewis . McGurn had Lewis under contract to perform at the Green Mill, but a rival gang’s club, the New Rendezvous, offered more money. Lewis planned to make the switch, so McGurn sent enforcers to Lewis’s residence. They proceeded to cut his throat and tongue in the doorway of his Lincoln Park hotel room. Amazingly, Lewis survived and even resumed his singing career after Capone paid for his recovery bills. 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. Exchequer Restaurant & Pub

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. Located below the ‘L’ tracks near the Adams/Wabash station, this family-owned restaurant was the site of a Capone-run speakeasy during Prohibition. Indeed, according to the staff, a door in the dining room leads to paved-up underground tunnels. Capone used the tunnels to avoid any heat. Seems like a pattern for that guy.

The 226 Club , named for the address of 226 S. Wabash, operated as a legitimate restaurant in the 1920s. That was only the front, of course. Capone supplied the illegal booze for thirsty downtown workers in the back of the establishment. Incredibly, the original décor that Capone gazed upon is still there. A contemporary drop ceiling hides the Moorish Revival architectural decoration from sight.

3. Blackstone Hotel

A local landmark known for its glamorous facilities and ties to Presidential politics , the Blackstone Hotel was apparently also a haunt of Alphonse Capone’s. According to the hotel’s own history, Capone frequented the hotel barbershop because it was windowless. No chance for an assassin to do his dirty work with no lines of sight.

Fans of Chicago gangster movies will find another of the Blackstone’s spaces familiar. The eye-popping architectural detail of the Crystal Ballroom is where the iconic baseball bat scene from The Untouchables was filmed. Of course, Capone didn’t actually beat rivals to death in that gorgeous room. He did it elsewhere. The Crystal Ballroom is the site where “Lucky” Luciano hosted a gangster’s convention in 1931, though. So it’s got that going for its gangland reputation.

4. Capone Family Home

Al Capone stayed in many different locales across Chicagoland. Such is the vagrant life of a gangland kingpin. When not galivanting around, he stayed at the original Capone family home with his mother, Theresa, and his wife, Mae. The family had relocated here in the 1920s from New York as Al’s particular career path led him to the Windy City. This brick two-flat, with its modest architecture, is at 7244 S. Prairie Ave. Today it’s a private residence, so it’s best not to go ringing the doorbell unless you’re looking to buy it .

Tucked onto a sleepy street in South Side’s Park Manor neighborhood, the Capone home is a completely unpretentious two-flat. Capone’s many customers lived in similar homes all across the working class “ white ethnic ” Chicago neighborhoods. For all the associations with glamour and guts, this humble spot may best epitomize Al Capone’s Chicago.

5. Bert Kelly’s Stables and the Medinah Athletic Club

I saved the spots I know best for last. The Shriners constructed the opulent Medinah Athletic Club , now an InterContinental Hotel , in 1929. The over-the-top Orientalist tower included everything from banquet halls to a dirigible dock. During the few years that the club was open as a private club, Capone visited to play rounds of putt putt at the tower’s indoor miniature golf course. I always find it funny, even charming, to imagine this infamous mobster puttering around, working on his short game among this magnificent architecture above the Mag Mile.

Bert Kelly’s Stables operated out of a small building at Wabash and Hubbard from 1915 to 1930. The only black and tan club on the north side of Chicago, its biggest claim to fame advertising that the band played “jazz” music, the first documented usage of the term to describe that musical style. Unsurprisingly, the Stables was one of the hottest speakeasies in Al Capone’s Chicago.

I’ve told the story of these buildings countless times on our old walking tours. These days, if you want the full scoop, you can reach out to book a custom private tour .

Little is Left of Al Capone’s Chicago

As I mentioned at the top, Capone long ago achieved a mythic status here in Chicago. Even while he was alive, the press attention created a larger-than-life persona for the man who’d been a two-bit hoodlum just years prior. Yet, as I wrote in a previous blog post on the site of the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre , surprisingly few buildings remain which directly connect to his actions here in Chicago.

Two dynamics drive this particular historical absence. First, the city has tried very hard to scrub this bloody history from its popular legacy. Mayor Daley II even tried to block the gangster tours from having downtown storefronts. Which is entirely understandable, even if it’ll likely never really work. People just love their gangster stories and movies too much.

Second, Capone’s clients, henchmen, and opponents were primarily working-class and of immigrant stock. Most of their haunts, which were the old working class Italian, German, Polish, and Irish Chicago neighborhoods, have disappeared. Gentrification , demolition , or assimilation transformed these areas over the past century. Even the little bars which became neighborhood institutions shutter all the time . These processes change a city, often dramatically, and wipe the slate clean every few generations. Considering that, it’s no surprise that we have so little of Al Capone’s Chicago physically present in the architecture of today.

– Alex Bean, Content Manager and Tour Guide

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Chicago Detours is a boutique tour company passionate about connecting people to places and each other through the power of storytelling. We bring curious people to explore, learn and interact with Chicago’s history, architecture and culture through  in-person private group tours ,  content production , and  virtual tours .

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Private Tour Coordinator and Tour Guide

There is no shortage of things to discover in Chicago—I love being an urban explorer and uncovering its hidden places. I have an MA in Public History from Loyola University Chicago, and I have worked as a museum educator and kindergarten teacher. My desire to learn new things fuels my passion for educating others, which I get to experience every day as a Chicago tour guide. I live in the northern neighborhood of Rogers Park.

Whether you are a first-time visitor or a lifelong resident, the vibrant history and modern majesty of Chicago never ceases to amaze. I’m a graduate of Columbia College with an M.A. in Interdisciplinary Art. I’ve worked for many years as an educator at City Colleges of Chicago. As tour guide at Chicago Detours, I integrate my enthusiasm for culture and architecture with my passion as an educator. West Town/Noble Square area is home for me.

With our Chicago neighborhoods, vibrant cultural institutions and nearly two centuries of larger-than-life stories, there’s never a dull moment here! I’m a fifth generation Chicagoan and a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis. In addition to guiding tours, I’m a creative writer and amateur genealogist. I also enjoy the city’s dynamic theater scene. You can also read overlooked stories from 19th-century newspapers on my “Second Glance History” blog. I live in River North.

Chicago is unique as it always evolves into the future while holding on to the past. I’m fascinated by how people latch on to old architecture but happily pave over others. My background is in theater and performance and I’ve been a tour guide here for more than 10 years. Currently I’m finishing my Master’s in Public History at Loyola University because I love to teach the history of this scrappy city. I’m in the Edgewater neighborhood.

Operations Coordinator and Tour Guide

Chicago’s history is so fascinating, you could spend a lifetime uncovering its secrets…I’m willing to give it a try! I have an M.A. in US History from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas and then pursued doctoral studies in Urban History at the University of Illinois at Chicago. I love to learn new aspects of Chicago’s rich history and then share my knowledge as a tour guide with Chicago Detours. I live in Ravenswood.

Content Manager and Tour Guide

Chicago has so many neighborhoods, buildings, and by-ways that it’s hard to go long without seeing something new, or something familiar from a new angle. I studied Cinema History for my M.A. from the University of Chicago. I’ve worked as a culture writer for various publications and as an educator of the humanities at the City Colleges of Chicago. I’m thrilled to share my love of this city’s busy past and unique architectural spaces with Chicago Detours. I live in the Chicago neighborhood of Lincoln Park.

Amanda Scotese

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NEWS... BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT

Speakeasies, gangsters and steak: What it’s like to take a tour of Al Capone’s Chicago

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For seven members of the booze-smuggling North Side Gang, it wasn’t flowers they were offered at a deserted Chicago garage on February 14, 1929, it was a hail of bullets.

Who was behind this unromantic gesture?

Rival gang leader Al Capone, head of the Chicago Outfit, who died 75 years ago last month.

Today, a chunk of bullet-riddled wall is displayed in Las Vegas’s Mob Museum.

The garage was bulldozed but locals still occasionally get people asking for directions to the site.

Another reminder of the thirst for knowledge about Chicago’s bloodiest era is the trinkets regularly left on Capone’s gravestone, in a cemetery on Chicago’s outskirts.

It’s a thirst numerous fedora-wearing tour guides are happy to quench.

‘Chicago was the epicentre of an era romanticised by people like F Scott Fitzgerald, author of The Great Gatsby,’ says Jonathan Knotek of Chicago Prohibition Tours, illuminating a period in America’s history where alcohol was effectively outlawed for 13 years.

But Knotek delves deeper, exploring issues such as the impact on women’s rights.

‘Before Prohibition most women in Chicago’s bars were prostitutes,’ he says. ‘Suddenly being there was illegal anyway so women were welcomed.’

I meet Knotek at the Exchequer pub , once a Capone-controlled speakeasy and brothel.

‘The back offices were rooms where patrons took the ladies,’ he says, while the memorabilia covering the pub’s walls includes photos of Prohibition protesters armed with ‘we want beer’ placards.

Also on the tour is the Green Door . Chicago’s oldest pub, a former speakeasy, is filled with architectural features dating back to the 1920s. Why all the green? ‘During Prohibition, something green indicated a speakeasy,’ says Jonathan Knotek.

Other sites include the Green Mill jazz club , frequented by Capone. Visitors can sit in his favourite booth, chosen because it offered multiple escape routes.

Hymie Weiss — the only man Capone feared — is the reason the Holy Name Cathedral features on many mobster tours. The bullets that killed him in a gang fight still scar the brickwork.

My final stop is Harry Caray’s Steakhouse , in a building once owned by Capone’s cousin, Frank Nitti, who used it as a base for his liquor distribution business.

In the foyer, Knotek points out framed charge sheets issued to Nitti, and Nitti’s phonebook, retrieved from a safe found in one of several bricked-up rooms in the basement. It’s usually off-limits but features on Chicago Prohibition Tours.

There are framed clippings too. ‘Capone thought being larger than life — and being in newspapers — meant protection,’ says Knotek.

How ironic, then, that weakened by the syphilis he’d caught from a prostitute, Capone died from a stroke. No romance in that.

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Chicago Prohibition Tours start at £33, prohibitiontours.com . Doubles at the Pendry Chicago from £165pn, pendry.com , flights from London to Chicago start from £440 return, ba.com

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Chicago Crime and Mob Tour

Tickets 🎫 Chicago Crime and Mob Tour for 1 person Highlights 🕵️ Investigate stories about Al Capone, The Untouchables, the Chicago Mob and more 📷 Snap photos of the historic locations in Chicago 🤝Chance to meet new people on the tour General Info 📅 Dates and times: select your dates/times directly in the ticket selector 📍 Venue: 163 E Pearson ⏳ Duration: 90 – 120 minutes 👤 Age requirement: 3+ with valid ID ❓ For this event, all sales are final and tickets can’t be refunded, changed or modified. For more information, please refer to our T&Cs

Description Some of the world’s most notorious criminals, mobsters and gangsters bamboozled their way through Chicago. Escape into the city’s criminal underworld as you investigate stories about Al Capone, The Untouchables, the Chicago Mob and more. From a luxury coach, see the sites of storied crime scenes including Biograph Theatre, Holy Name Cathedral, and the St Valentine's Day Massacre, one of Chicago's most notorious murders. Snap photos of the historic criminal courthouse, and hop on-and-off the coach to walk the path that Chicago gangsters John Dillinger and Hymie Weiss followed just before their deaths.

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Chicago Crime Tours and Experiences - Gangsters, Mobsters and Criminals

163 East Pearson Street, Chicago, 60611

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Best Al Capone Tours in Chicago

Visit Chicago and immerse yourself in the world of the underworld, speakeasies and more, in this, the city that immortalized one of the most important figures of the mafia: Al Capone.

Nicolas Reffray

Casa color naranja | ©Rick Donaldson

There are many things to see and do in Chicago , but without a doubt, your visit would not be complete without a tour of its darker past. I'm referring of course to its relationship with the world of the mob. With incredible stories, places that have remained intact since the 1920s, and a lot of sites that have been very important in the era of Prohibition.

Of all the gangsters who have been known, the one who has penetrated deep into the popular imagination, is undoubtedly Al Capone. Synonymous with the Mafia and organized crime, Al Capone, along with John Dillinger, public enemy number 1, have left their mark on the city of Chicago and the world. Today you have the chance to take a guided tour of the places where they had their most famous encounters with the police. Enjoy this tour through the best of the Chicago Mafia!

Private tour of the fascinating world of Al Capone in Chicago

Live a unique experience on this tour through the history of organized crime in the city of Chicago. You'll be picked up in the comfort of your hotel or Airbnb, and travel in a luxury vehicle throughout the city. Tour places like Lincoln Park, Green Mill and The Loop . With your guide who is a specialist in the history of the city, you can visit some of the speakeasies that Al Capone's group ran during the Prohibition era.

The Loop and the Biograph Theater

In The Loop you will enjoy the hundreds of old news footage of Dillinger and Capone, a real trip back in time, where you will understand why these two gangsters became famous around the world. Your guide will tell you some incredible stories that will leave you open-mouthed.

This tour will take you to the Biograph Theatre , now renamed Victory Gardens, where John Dillinger was shot by the police , as well as the site where Al Capone's car was showered with bullets.

Holy Name Cathedral

You will see some of the historic hotels where the Mafia operated, along with the Holy Name Cathedral, where even today you can still see on its facade and on the steps of the entrance, the marks of the shootings , product of the murder of Earl Weiss, nicknamed Little Hymie, one of the main allies of Dean O'Banion, who considered him his right hand.

The Green Mill

At the Green Mill , the club that Al Capone used to frequent, you can even sit at the table reserved just for him. Today the club is one of the most representative jazz clubs in the city. Feel like a mob boss as your eyes roam the same places Al used to see.

Other Chicago attractions

Without a doubt, this is one of the best tours of Chicago , and a unique opportunity to visit some of the most important points of the city, such as the Cloud Gate in Millennium Park , a huge outdoor work of art. You will also pass with your guide by the Willis Tower , one of the tallest buildings in the Western Hemisphere, at no less than 442 meters high.

The tour does not include drinks and snacks and lasts approximately 3 hours. Once the tour is over, you will be taken to your hotel, so you don't have to worry about anything. This tour is not recommended for very young children, but it is ideal for those over 10 years old, making it one of the top 10 things to do in Chicago with kids .

Book an Al Capone tour in Chicago

How to book an Al Capone tour in Chicago

Always the best option to book an excursion or guided tour is through the internet . On the web you can find the different options available for the tour you want to do, and you can also read the comments of other people who have already lived the experience, and how well it went, if the guides are worth it, if it is a recommendable experience or not. If, on the other hand, you choose to hire a tour on the street, you risk that the company that provides the tour is not entirely reliable, or that what is offered is not what you are told.

Duration of the Al Capone Tour in Chicago

This type of tour includes many sites of interest, so the duration of the tour is approximately 3 hours . That's how long it will take you from the time you are picked up from the comfort of your hotel or Airbnb to your return. Anyway, you'll find that the time flies by as you listen to the stories of the Chicago mob.

What will I see on this type of tour?

This type of tour offers a unique journey through the past of the city of Chicago and the most representative sites of the city's relationship with organized crime in general, and more in detail, with the history of one of the most famous mob bosses: Al Capone. In addition, you will be able to visit some landmarks of today's Chicago, such as the imposing sculpture The Cloud in Millennium Park or the Willis Tower .

Tips for an Al Capone tour in Chicago

For this type of tour, where the historical content is very large, I recommend that you read up on the subject beforehand , so you can then recognize the places that are mentioned, thus bringing more richness to the tour. Prepare your camera to take amazing pictures in some of the places you will visit, which seem to be stopped in the 1920's. Keep in mind that the tour does not include any drinks or snacks , so you may want to bring something in your bag.

How much does an Al Capone tour in Chicago cost?

This type of tour is around 895 euros per person , since it includes a very complete tour, an expert guide, pick up and return to your accommodation and travel aboard a luxury vehicle, very comfortable.

Why is it advisable to take an Al Capone tour in Chicago?

Chicago is famous for many things, from its basketball team to its museums to its irreverent and daring architecture, but without a doubt, the city has become associated in the popular imagination with the world of the Mafia. Although today Chicago is an absolutely safe city, the stories of John Dillinger's big robberies or Al Capone's shootings continue to attract people. This is why taking a guided Al Capone tour is highly recommended, as you will get to know that part of the city's past, and it is also a fun experience!

What are the advantages of taking a guided tour vs. visiting the sites Al Capone frequented on my own?

While you can study about the subject and visit the places on your own, there is no doubt that having a specialized guide adds a plus to the experience. It is not only about visiting places, but also about the background of each one of them. Taking a guided tour is always a good option, since it enriches the tour with stories that may not circulate on the internet, stories that only a local knows, because they are part of the history and legacy of his city .

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Crime Al Capone and Ghosts Tour

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Chicago, IL 60626

Rogers Park

Serving Chicago Area

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Haunted places and gangster hangouts, hidden history and crime scenes. Walking tour with a Secret route, we take you where no one else can. Prohibition Era, Speakeasies, Death Alley and Congress hotel part of our route. You will hear untold stories and outlandish details.This isn't just another boring tour -- it is an adventure where you travel back in time as a gangster member. Come discover the hidden. …

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Private Al Capone Gangster Tour in Chicago

• Hotel pickup and drop-off
• Transport by private vehicle
• We can pick you up and drop you off anywhere in the Chicagoland area. Please note desired pick up point when booking.
• Wheelchair accessible
• Stroller accessible
• Near public transportation
• Confirmation will be received at time of booking
• The lux minivan can take between 13 to 28 people
• Most travelers can participate
• This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
• For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
• Millennium Park
• Biograph Theatre
• Holy Name Cathedral

Similar experiences

• You'll get picked up See departure details
• 1 The Loop Stop: 30 minutes See details
• 2 Lincoln Park Stop: 30 minutes See details
• 3 Green Mill Stop: 15 minutes See details
• 4 Biograph Theatre Stop: 15 minutes See details
• 5 Holy Name Cathedral Stop: 15 minutes See details
• 6 Millennium Park Stop: 15 minutes See details
• You'll return to the starting point

• Susan A 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Definitely worth it Great tour telling some of the sad stories in Chicago's history. My 13 year old grandchildren loved it. Well done. Adam was a great guide! Read more Written June 20, 2021
• 768marthah 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Best Tour Ever We took the private architecture tour of Chicago Private Tours and Productions on 11/22/19. Stevie did not disappoint. His depth of knowledge and storytelling ability made us feel like Al Capone himself was in the Empire room with us. We learned about the history and saw the interiors of the most amazing buildings while being driven to the curb by chauffeur Carmela. Learned about the history of skyscrapers, Union Stock Yard, the World’s Fair in 1893 and it was so interesting that I bought “The Devil and the White City” for the plane ride home. Stevie even added a quick stop at Harry Carey’s so we could see the secret underground tunnel to the courthouse - used at a time when corruption reigned in the city. This tour was my favorite part of the weekend in Chicago and I highly recommend. Read more Written November 25, 2019
• pickychiclet 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Best River Tour Love, loved the architecture tour...I've been on two last year! The first one I scheduled because I thought it might be a fun way to some of the city off our feet, it was so much more than I expected. The tour guides are amazing, it's so informative and interesting...we loved it enough to go twice. Read more Written April 6, 2018
• DWDLA 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Great!!!! What a great tour!!! The guide was fantastic. My wife and I really enjoyed this tour. Do yourself a favor and check this out. Read more Written January 31, 2018

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Private Al Capone Gangster Tour in Chicago provided by Chicago Private Tours and Productions

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Al Capone gangster tour of Chicago

History facts.

Where:  Chicago, Illinois, Midwest USA When:  1920s History:  Lawless ground of violent crime, shootings, and gang warfare run by the notorious Al Capone Best sights:  St. Valentine’s Massacre site, Capone’s moonshine brewery and spot where John Dillinger met his match to the FBI

1920s Chicago: a city fuelled by crime, lawlessness, alcohol, and the strains of wild jazz music. In January 1920, the  Volstead Act  was made a national statute, prohibiting the consumption of alcohol everywhere. Instead of inspiring the civic obedience its pious enforcers envisaged, Prohibition increased crime greatly by igniting the bootlegging moonshine and beer wars fought by the Chicago gangs. The biggest and most notorious gangster of them all was Al Capone.

Who was Al Capone

Capone  was born in  Brooklyn , New York in 1899 into a rough neighbourhood. At school he joined two gangs: the  Brooklyn Rippers  and the  Forty Thieves Juniors . He quit school at fourteen to dedicate most of his adult life to the criminal fraternity, joining the  Five Points  gang in Manhattan, and working as a barman and bouncer in gangster  Frankie Yale’s Harvard Inn . Here he received the wounds that gave him the nickname “ Scarface “.

After killing two rival gang members in New York, he arrived in Chicago in 1919 to let things back in New York cool down and set up home at  7244 South Prairie Avenue . In Chicago he became the protégé of gangster  John Torrio , becoming his business partner after just three years and taking over the racket when Torrio was run out of town. Capone ruled the city’s illegal vice network – comprising of brothels, speakeasies, gambling halls, race tracks, breweries, and nightclubs – between 1925 and 1930. His underground empire was rumoured to have netted an income of $100 million per year. He was run out of town to Florida in 1928. Capone was eventually caught by a bunch of determined Federal Agents, known as the ‘ Untouchables ‘, led by Eliott Ness,  who procured to convict Capone on a simple charge of tax evasion in 1931. He died of syphilis in  Miami, Florida  in 1947.

Take a Gangster Tour of Chicago

Today, you can take in the history of Chicago’s seedy past with an  Untouchable Gangster Tour . The tours, which run every day and take two hours, are led by guides wearing gangster suits and talking the lingo. For $24 you’ll be ushered on board an old school bus that’s been painted black to make it look like an old gangster car. The guides are funny but also extremely knowledgeable. You can take in the sights like  Cicero Restaurant  where Capone had a speakeasy;  Al Capone’s brewery; Holy Name Cathedral , site of an assassination;  Chinatown  – Capone’s area with the church where he prayed, his first place of work, and where he first shot a gangster; the  Sicilian neighbourhood , and the site of the  St. Valentine Day’s Massacre.

Top Gangsta Sites in Chicago

St. Valentine’s Massacre Garage

2122 N. Clark Street  is the site of Capone’s most notorious killing. On February 14th 1929, four of Capone’s men, two dressed as police, went into a garage which was the liquor headquarters of rival  “Bugs” Moran’s North Side gang.  Moran’s men, thinking it was a police raid, dropped their guns and put their hands against the wall. Capone’s gang leaded them with 150 bullets killing seven men, though Moran was in safety across the road. Capone had a watertight alibi – he was in Florida that day. City officials – reluctant to celebrate their dark past – have removed all signs of the garage’s existence and today the site is a fenced garden.

Shoenberg Brewery

The Shoenberg Brewery is a magnificent old, brownstone building. In 1927 there were 30,000 ‘ speakeasies ‘ (so called from ‘speaking easy’ so that cops couldn’t hear) in the United States – twice the number of legal bars before the era of prohibition. Shoenberg was where Capone’s gang stored and brewed liquor to supply to the speakeasy racket.

Red Lion Pub

Chicago’s other 1930s outlaw was  John Dillinger , notorious bank robber, murderer, and the nation’s public enemy number one – according to the FBI at the time. Every year in July, curious anoraks assemble to commemorate the death of this alternative folk hero outside the Biograph Theatre where he was betrayed to FBI agents by Romanian brothel-keeper  Anna Sage . The agents took their cue to shoot Dillinger on spotting Anna’s striking red dress as she led him out of the cinema at 10.30pm on July 22nd 1934. During the commemoration, a procession leads to the very spot where Anna Sage and her girlfriend, Polly Hamilton, accompany an oblivious John Dillinger out of the cinema that fateful night. The event is replayed and re-enacted accurately, including the match lit by Special Agent Melvin Purvis which alerted fellow agents of the outlaw’s exit. The event’s highlight is the ritualistic pouring of beer over the exact spot Dillinger fell to the FBI’s bullets.

More Information

Untouchables Gangster Tour Take a gangster tour of Chicago

Tommy Gun’s Garage  Although prohibition has long gone, it hasn’t been forgotten. A great way to relive the experience is to visit the Tommy Gun’s Garage, at 2114 S. Wabash in Chicago, a gangster and flappers revue. You’ll have to give the secret password to get it, there’s a police raid in the middle of the show, and you can dance the Charleston, 20s style.

Words by Marie-Laure Vigneron

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The 11 Best Crime Tours in Chicago

Chicago is one of the best cities in the US for people who love dark history. But, at the same time, Chicago is known for its music scene, stunning art deco architecture, delicious deep-dish pizza and the bean! 

However, Chicago is also known for its dark past during the prohibition and is tied to some of the most infamous mobsters and gangsters, including Al Capone and John Dillinger.

Head out on the town and take one go on a Chicago Mob Tour to learn all the seedy details about Chicago’s Prohibition era. Then, visit some of Chicago’s most iconic areas that Chicago’s gangsters frequented during the roaring ‘20s by taking one of the best crime tours in Chicago.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Please see my  Privacy Policy  for more information.

Gangsters and Ghosts Tour in Chicago

Step back in time by following a historian tour guide on the Gangsters and Ghosts Tour in Chicago . The tour takes you back to the 1920s when the Chicago Loop was the hangout of the infamous gangster Al Capone.

During the prohibition, The Loop was the breeding ground for criminal activities, including illegal speakeasy saloons, secret underground tunnels, bootleggers and the headquarters for gangsters.

The Chicago gangster tour will take you to sites that gangsters frequented, including the Congress Hotel, Millennium Park, Death Alley, and the Palmer House, Chicago’s oldest hotel rumoured to be haunted.

The tour is one of the best Crime tours in Chicago, as it has a great mix of Gangsters and ghosts, so it is perfect for people who love both. I took the tour with tour guide Alan, and he was incredibly engaging and enthusiastic.

This tour is perfect for locals and visitors to Chicago. You will leave learning something new! I highly recommend taking this tour if you want to learn more about Chicago’s dark history and all about Chicago’s prohibition era.

Book here: Gangsters and Ghosts Tour in Chicago

Chicago Crime and Mob Bus Tour

The Chicago Crime and Mob Tour carts you around areas frequented by Chicago mobsters like Al Capone, The Untouchables, Hymie Weiss, and John Dillinger.

The Chicago mob tour visits the Holy Name Cathedral, Biography Theatre, and the site where the Bloody St. Valentine’s Day Massacre occurred. If you are interested in Chicago’s mob history, this is the tour for you as you will hear thrilling stories about gangsters, violence and crime as you are taken around Chicago.

This tour is one of Chicago’s best Mafia and prohibition tours as it visits Frank Nitti’s vault hideout. In addition, you will visit a mob museum and historic bootlegging tunnels, where you will see safes used by mobsters in the 1920s.

Book here: Chicago Crime and Mob Bus Tour

Chicago: Gangsters and Ghosts 2-Hour Walking Tour

The Chicago: Gangsters and Ghosts 2-Hour Walking tour is a history-based Chicago gangster tour that is perfect for people who love all things spooky! The tour is all about ghosts, gangsters and their perspective of Chicago.

This tour takes you through the Chicago Riverwalk, The Chicago Theatre, Palmer House, Cloud Gate, the Art Institute of Chicago and the Congress Plaza Hotel & Convention Center. You will hear tales of Chicago’s dark history at each stop from a historian guide.

You will find out how Al Capone ran his empire and learn about all of the crazy happenings that occurred at Al Capone’s headquarters. In addition, you will visit all of the haunted places in Chicago and hear about the ghosts that still haunt each site.

This is a family-friendly tour, and the tour guides are fun, enthusiastic and ensure the tour is exciting and unforgettable!

Book here: Chicago: Gangsters and Ghosts 2-Hour Walking Tour

Chicago Night Crimes Bus Tour

Explore the dark side of the windy city by taking the Chicago Night Crimes Bus Tour . The Chicago mob tour explores the lives of monsters and gangsters such as Frank Nitti, Bugs Moran and Al Capone. The tour has a great pace as you are taken around Chicago’s gangster-related locations.

The tour visits local pubs like the Burwood Tap and Harry Caray’s Italian Steakhouse. The Chicago Night Crimes Bus Tour passes by places like Water Tower Place, North Avenue Beach, Lincoln Park, Biograph Theatre, Oz Park, Marina City, and Holy Name Cathedral. You will visit some of the sites where the most infamous criminal acts took place back during the prohibition.

What makes this one of the Best Gangster Tours in Chicago? You get to relax on a warm bus heading to the following location, which is perfect on those cold Chicago nights. 

Book here: Chicago Night Crimes Bus Tour

Untouchable Tours Chicago’s Original Gangster Tour

Take a minibus back in time on the Orginal Gangster Tour to Chicago in the 1920s by visiting the hangouts of mobsters like Moran, Dillinger and Capone. 

You will hear all about the details of their haunts at sites like the Biograph Theater, Holy Name Cathedral, and St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. The tour takes you to about 10 locations connected to Chicago’s most infamous gangsters.

This tour is loads of fun and definitely one of the best Crime tours in Chicago because you will hear lots of history and comedy from a costumed guide. 

The Untouchable Tours Chicago’s Original Gangster Tour is excellent for older kids and adults. The guides are absolutely fantastic and super engaging.

If you are looking for a small group sized Chicago gangster tour, this is the crime tour for you as they have a max of 8 travellers!

Book here: Untouchable Tours Chicago’s Original Gangster Tour

1920s Chicago Walking Tour: Art Deco, Flappers, Gangsters, and Prohibition

Step back to the roaring 20s on the 1920s Chicago Walking Tour and see some of Chicago’s gorgeous hidden gems. You will explore all of the Art Deco architecture that lines the city now and shows you how glitzy and glamorous Chicago was during the prohibition.

The walking tour explores the exteriors and interiors of buildings that were once the hotspots for flappers, jazz musicians, speakeasies and the notorious gangsters who would spend time in each location.

You will also visit an old gangster headquarters where you will see photos, newspaper clippings and a vault that Al Capone and other gangsters used. You will also visit “The Loop,” which is in downtown Chicago and the site of Chicago’s spectacular art deco buildings.

Book here: 1920s Chicago Walking Tour: Art Deco, Flappers, Gangsters, and Prohibition

Vice, Crime and Gangsters in Chicago: A Self-Guided Audio Tour

Do you want to go on all of the Crime tours in Chicago but don’t want to spend time with other people? Same. You can do that by taking the Vice, Crime and Gangsters in Chicago Self-Guided Audio Tour !

The self-guided tour takes you to sites like the DuSable Bridge, Chicago River, Franklin-Orleans Street Bridge, Chicago Riverwalk, and Wrigley Building. 

In addition, you can take your time exploring Chicago’s local haunts of the prohibition era’s infamous gangsters. If you want to do the whole tour in real-time, it will take at least 75 minutes.

The audio tour provides you with tales of Chicago’s dark history and the opium trade with the sweet sounds of urban historian Richard Junger’s voice.

Book here: Vice, Crime and Gangsters in Chicago: A Self-Guided Audio Tour

Lincoln Park Hauntings Ghost Investigation Tour

Do you love ghost tours but want to dig a little bit deeper? Spend the evening with a paranormal investigator looking for all the ghosts haunting Chicago’s dark streets on the Lincoln Park Hauntings Ghost Investigation Tour .

You will visit the old City Cemetery, Couch Tomb and Lincoln Park, where you will hear about the history of the Great Fire of 1871 and more.

This is the perfect tour for people who want to go on one of the Crime tours in Chicago but want a paranormal twist. Plus, you will get the chance to use paranormal equipment and try to contact the spirits yourself!

Tour guide Tony is phenomenal and will go into great detail about all things Chicago during the prohibition and beyond.

Book here: Lincoln Park Hauntings Ghost Investigation Tour

Sin and Suds Chicago Beer Tour

Do you want to spend a few hours exploring Chicago on a gangster-themed beer tour? Then, head out on the town with the Sins and Suds Chicago Beer Tour . 

You will visit Chicago’s Loop and South Loop neighbourhoods sipping on the best beer and pizza Chicago offers while hearing the tales of the mafia scene of the 1920s.

You will visit up to four local bars, and samples of beer and pizza are included in the tour price. If you want a bit more to drink, be sure to bring some cash with you.

Book here: Sin and Suds Chicago Beer Tour

The Devil in the White City: A Haunting History Tour

Do you want to go on more Crime tours in Chicago but want to hear about more than Al Capone? The Devil in the White City explores the history surrounding the legend of the notorious H.H. Holmes.

The tour carts you around Chicago by bus for three hours of the insanity surrounding the 1893 Chicago World Fair. In addition, you will visit sites hit by H.H. Holmes, including Jackson Park, Midway Plaisance Park and the elusive Murder Castle of H.H. Holmes!

If you love Chicago crime tours and have done the rest, I highly recommend this tour.

Book here: The Devil in the White City: A Haunting History Tour

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Chicago Gangsters and Ghosts Tours

Chicago Tours | Gangster Tour and Ghost Tour

ABOUT THE TOUR

Ready to learn about Chicago’s haunted past?

Four tours run daily at 11 AM, 1 PM, 4 PM and 8 PM

One of the best ways to really acquaint yourself with the infamous city of Chicago is to do it from the streets, through a guided Chicago Gangster Tour or Ghost Tour, detailing the crimes, deals, and charisma that made the city what it is today.

We offer a 2 for 1 deal, hosting historically-based guided tours of Chicago’s gangers AND ghost stories, right from the Chicago Loop Vice District.

When: 11 AM, 1 PM, 4 PM and 8 PM Daily

Where: Chicago Loop Vice District

Meeting Location: Royal Sonesta Hotel – 71 E. Upper Wacker Drive

What: Guided Gangster AND Ghost Stories Tour

How Long: 2 Hours

Length: 1.5 Mile

Best Chicago Gangster and Ghost Tour

We proudly host a 2-hour, 1.5-mile walking guided tour that explores the gangsters and ghosts of Chicago’s past in the area of “The Loop.” Known as the vice district during the 1920s and 30s shady partying, deal-making, and threats, riddled with speakeasy saloons, secret underground tunnels used by bootleggers, and the famous Al Capone, The Loop is where the understanding and depiction of the 20th century gangster began.

Guests will have the rare opportunity to visit these heralded haunted locations and old crime scenes where it all went down 100-years ago.

Hosted by historians, it is not a theatrical guided tour; rather, the stories are told in a more intimate, historical setting that really paints a picture for guests into Chicago’s past. Spooky, real tales of the ghosts and gangsters of Chicago’s street will be shared along the tour route as the group stops at each famous location.

Family friendly and accommodating in nature, the tour makes frequent stops with a refreshment and restroom break.

Notable tour stops include:

· Congress Hotel

· Death Alley

· Palmer House

Don’t forget to bring your camera… you never know when you might see a ghost!

Click Here to Book Your Spot Online

Call now to reserve your spot: 708-239-8542, adult (18-64) = $35, senior (65+) = $25, youth (7-17) = $17, child (0-6) = free, kids permitted; children under 6-years-old go free, click here to purchase a gift certificate.

Leone Capone

Crime and Public Safety | ‘What does ‘corruptly’ mean?’: Supreme Court…

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Crime and Public Safety

Crime and public safety | ‘what does ‘corruptly’ mean’: supreme court has tough questions over bribery prosecutions that could affect chicago cases.

A government attorney faced tough questioning Monday from U.S. Supreme Court justices over concerns that the federal bribery statute often used to prosecute public officials, including a former Indiana mayor, is vague and potentially criminalizes innocuous gift-giving by people from all walks of life.

The oral arguments came in a case involving James Snyder, the former mayor of Portage, Indiana, who was convicted of taking a $13,000 “consulting” fee from a garbage truck contractor that had recently won two lucrative contracts with the town.

The statute Snyder was convicted under, which is commonly referred to as “666” because of its number in the federal criminal code, makes it illegal to “corruptly” accept anything over $5,000 in value with the intention of being “influenced or rewarded” for an official act, regardless of whether there was a prior quid-pro-quo agreement.

How the high court comes down on the issue could have a resounding impact on political corruption prosecutions in Illinois — including the case against former House Speaker Michael Madigan, which is set for trial in October.

A decision is expected before the court session ends in late June or early July.

During intense questioning in Washington, D.C., on Monday, many of the justices seemed sympathetic to Snyder’s argument that the statute’s vague wording could sweep up all types of legal gratuities that people offer every day, such as giving a doctor a fruit basket for exceptional treatment, taking a teacher or coach who gave special attention to your child to dinner, or thanking a firefighter who rescued your kitten from a tree with concert tickets.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett at one point started a line of questioning by telling the government’s attorney, Colleen Roh Sinzdak, “I’m increasingly worried about the government’s position.”

The nearly two-hour arguments included offbeat references to plastic surgeons, the Cheesecake Factory, Chipotle, Al Capone, and the cheap Trader Joe’s wine known as “Two Buck Chuck,” as in whether that bargain bottle is acceptable while the expensive product of a noted vineyard isn’t.

But over and over, the justices kept coming back to concerns over the word “corruptly” and how people are supposed to know where the line is.

“What is innocuous and what is not?” Justice Brett Kavanaugh asked Sinzdak, an assistant to the solicitor general, at one point. “And just as important, how is the official supposed to know ahead of time?”

Borrowing from an example offered by Snyder’s attorney, Justice Neil Gorsuch said, “I hate to do this but … how does somebody who accepts a trip to the Cheesecake Factory for nice treatment during a hospital visit … how does that person know if it falls on the wrongfulness side?”

Sinzdak argued that there is a “break” in the statute that protects such innocent conduct by forcing prosecutors to prove that the gift-taker did so knowing that it was wrongful, whether it’s a politician violating a state statute or a hospital worker running afoul of the organization’s ethical rules.

“Congress was not doing something wild and crazy,” Sinzdak said. She also said that corruptly has been defined through other court rulings as “immoral” or “wrongful,” offering a road map that would ward off prosecutions for innocent conduct.

Under questioning by Justice Elena Kagan, Sinzsak also pointed out there are a number of “safe harbors” in the statute that carve out other legal behavior, including limiting it to gifts worth $5,000 or more that are connected to some official government act or business transaction, and making express exceptions for “bona fide salary” payments and charitable contributions.

As for “an apple-for-the-teacher” type gifts, Sinzdak said such hypotheticals have no real-world purpose because prosecutors would never bring charges in such cases.

“They’re just not even on the radar of the government,” she said.

Sinzdak also argued it makes sense that illegal gratuities would be included in a bribery statute that requires a quid pro quo because in the end they do “the same harm” whether an agreement was struck in advance or not.

“If there is a beforehand agreement, in (Snyder’s) case it doesn’t change anything, because it’s crystal clear that what he was doing, taking a public act intending to get that private reward … he’s doing the public act in order to line his own pockets,” Sinzdak said.

In rebuttal, Snyder’s attorney, Lisa Blatt, called the government’s arguments “preposterous” and, at times, “gibberish.” Blatt said the idea that the term “corruptly” is somehow tied to a consciousness of wrongdoing, as Sinzdak claimed, seemed like “Senate room drafting language” rather than something rooted in law.

“It sounds like in moot court they worked this out because they thought it sounded good,” Platt said.

Among the other justices asking questions Monday were Sonya Sotomayor and Samuel Alito.

Meanwhile, Justice Clarence Thomas was absent from the court Monday with no explanation. Thomas, 75, also was not participating remotely in arguments, as justices sometimes do when they are ill or otherwise can’t be there in person, according to The Associated Press.

Chief Justice John Roberts said of Thomas that his colleague would still participate in the day’s cases, based on the briefs and transcripts of the arguments.

Thomas has been under fire for news reports showing he has taken lavish gifts from wealthy Republican megadonors, including some who have business before the court.

The high court’s decision to hear Snyder’s case has already had repercussions in Chicago. Since the Supreme Court’s announcement in December, Madigan’s trial was delayed from April 1 until October to allow time for the decision to come out and be digested before going forward.

In a parallel case, a different judge agreed, over the objection of prosecutors, to delay sentencings for the “ComEd Four,” a group of lobbyists and executives convicted of conspiring to bribe Madigan by showering his associates with do-nothing consulting jobs and other perks.

In Madigan’s case, prosecutors have noted that the 666 statute is charged in only five of the 23 counts of the racketeering indictment.

Among them is a pivotal conversation from August 2018 when Madigan met in his downtown Chicago law office with then-Ald. Danny Solis to discuss Solis’ appointment to a lucrative state board position.

Solis, who unbeknown to Madigan was an FBI mole, made it clear he’d helped bring law business to Madigan and wanted something in return once he retired from City Hall, perhaps a position with the Commerce Commission or Labor Relations Board, which Solis said were both “very generous in their compensation,” according to federal prosecutors.

“Don’t worry about it,” Madigan allegedly said during the conversation, which was secretly being videotaped by Solis.  “… Just leave it in my hands.”

In addition to the Solis board appointment, the statute is used to charge an alleged scheme to steer a ComEd board seat to Democratic political operative Juan Ochoa, payments ComEd made to former 13th Ward Ald. Frank Olivo, former 23rd Ward Ald. Michael Zalewski and others, and an alleged push by Madigan to win law business from the developers of a parcel in Chinatown.

In their objection to delaying the trial, prosecutors said they were willing to forgo any argument to the jury that the benefits provided to Madigan “were gratuities, that is, merely rewards for past actions Madigan had already committed to take.”

U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey sided with Madigan’s team, however, saying “it’s better to do it right than to do it twice.”

Madigan, 81, is charged in a racketeering indictment alleging he participated in an array of bribery and extortion schemes from 2011 to 2019 aimed at using the power of his public office for personal and political gain.

Also charged was Madigan’s longtime confidant Michael McClain, 76, a former state legislator and lobbyist who was convicted in the ComEd Four trial last year of orchestrating an alleged scheme by the utility giant to secretly steer hundreds of thousands of dollars to Madigan-backed operatives.

Madigan and McClain have each pleaded not guilty in their case, which is set to begin on Oct. 8.

Meanwhile, Chicago’s legal community will watch in earnest how the Snyder case unfolds before the Supreme Court.

Federal prosecutors have said the plain language of the statute leaves no question that doling out rewards to a politician for an official act is a type of “pernicious graft” that Congress clearly wanted to outlaw.

“As lawmakers have recognized for centuries, corrupt gratuities give rise to deceitful behavior by their recipients, who may carry out their duties in a way designed to maximize the rewards to themselves instead of to the local government or other federally funded entity they serve,” attorneys for the government wrote in their response brief last month.

Snyder’s attorneys, meanwhile, have made the case that the line between “benign” gifts and illegal rewards is murky at best.

“If it’s that ‘no big deal,’ let the government prove quid pro quo,” Blatt argued Monday. “Just let ’em … Here they have six different ways they definite corrupt … I don’t know what ‘benign’ means. I don’t know what ‘immoral’ means.”

Evidence at Snyder’s trial showed that shortly after he helped steer contracts for city garbage trucks to a local firm, Great Lakes Peterbilt, a cash-strapped Snyder showed up at the business asking for a $15,000 loan.

The firm’s president eventually agreed to pay Snyder $13,000, supposedly for contract work involving information technology and human resources consulting, work that Snyder was not qualified to do and never performed.

Tribune wires contributed. 

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