Cicero, Illinois 60804

"If you smell gunpowder, then you're in Cicero"

Cicero, Illinois - the place where Velma, her sister Veronica, and husband Charlie were "boozin' and having a few laughs" on the night that Velma "blacked out" probably serves as a good focal point for a look at Chicago's colorful history circa 1926.

22nd Street, Cicero, IL 1928

Remember, we're in the middle of Prohibition, the constitutional amendment banning the sale, production, and transportation of alcohol.  Speakeasies, Jazz Clubs, and alcohol made in upstairs bathtubs (hence the name "bathtub Gin") were popular and proliferated during this time.

The Hawthorne Hotel on West 22nd in Cicero 

            Headquarters of "Al" Capone    1926

Cicero Illinois became a hotbed for corruption in the early 1920's; it had been "invaded" by the Capone / Torrio gang from Brooklyn, New York who more or less ruled the town.  There was nominally a mayor, but he was largely under the control of Al Capone who publicly humiliated Klenha by slapping on the steps of town hall.

Chicago crime boss Alphonse "Al" Capone made Cicero his home. When his brother Frank was killed by police, the local speakeasies closed for one day as a sign of respect.

Joseph Z Klenha - mayor in name only

1926, the year CHICAGO by Maurine Dallas Watkins was written, and (more or less) the year our production is set was quite a year in Cicero.  In April of '26 100 machine-guns riddle a Cicero beauty shop in an attempt to murder gangster James Sammon.

Later that month, Assistant State Prosecutor William McSwiggin is killed by machine-gun fire in front of Harry Madigan's Pony Inn on Roosevelt St in Cicero.  Al Capone is rumored to have been brandishing the weapon that killed McSwiggin.

In September of that same year, over 1000 rounds of ammunition pour into the Hawthorne Hotel, in an attempt to assassinate Al Capone, who escapes death with help from his bodyguard Frank Rio.

In November of 1926, gangster William Raggio is murdered with a single bullet to the head and is left in a remote part of Cicero.

What Does This Mean For Us?

Consider that most of the characters in CHICAGO would be familiar with this world, and these people.  The stories of corruption, strong-arming, and murder would be daily topics of discussion and fascination, not unlike the way we follow court trials today.  But as opposed to something that happens 2000 miles away, these events and these people would be much more familiar to you.

There's always been a fascination with gangsters.  Think of The Sopranos, Bugsy, Scarface, and the like.  As we move through the rehearsal process, consider your familiarity and relationship to these people and events.  

with much thanks to

Mario Gomes

"Myalcaponemuseum.com"