America's Most Infamous Bars: Former Speakeasies & Mobster Hangouts
Posted by ~Ray @ 2008-11-13 11:23:15
During the years of prohibition those who wanted to taste a sip of alcohol were forced to find the secret speakeasies that dotted several major metropolitan cities around the country. If you stepped into any of those places you were sure to be keeping company with a few mobsters. Of course you had to know the password to get in but once you spoke those words you were welcomed. Often tucked away in alleys or basements a patron would be able to order a drink gamble and dance -- the luxuries we take for granted today. New York City. Detroit and Chicago were the three cities that hosted the most known speakeasies. But many other cities also got in on the fun.
This modern-day jazz club originally opened its doors in 1907 as Pop Morse's Roadhouse but by 1910 thanks to some new owners it changed names and became the Green Mill Gardens. In the twenties one of Al Capone's cronies became a 25% owner of the spot and drew the mobster crowd quite easily. It's no secret that Green Mill continued serving liquor through Prohibition. With Capone's connections the place stayed well-stocked. A series of tunnels runs below the bar to provide an easy entrance to bootleggers and mafia-types. Today's Green Mill is known for hosting amazing jazz musicians. The entire place has been restored by the current owner to its speakeasy glory. When you enter through the front door you feel like you've stepped into a time machine. The dining space at Room 21 was not a speakeasy but one of Al Capone's biggest liquor warehouses during prohibition. In fact while excavating the site the current owner discovered an escape tunnel that led to the warehouse behind a metal door labeled "Room 21". The story goes that Al Capone hid his stash in this very spot until Eliot Ness and his "Untouchables" kicked down his door during one of their first raids. On the other side of the escape tunnel was the speakeasy. Today this controversial warehouse hosts some of Chicago's elite with amazing dinners in an elegant spot. To sit at a table in this restaurant you'd never know it was once a criminals warehouse.
The "Tap Room" as its more commonly known has undergone several face-lifts over the years serving not only as the famous prohibition speakeasy but before that as a trolley repair station and the Union Pigeon Racing Club. But it's the years of illegal liquor-ing which have really left this spot with one of the most lively histories in all of Detroit. The current owners of the bar have been around since the 1950's and do their best to keep the history intact. But one thing you will find at the modern Ye Olde Tap Room which you wouldn't have found in the 20's is the Golden Tee video game standing in the corner.
The Seelbach influenced a big drinker like F. Scott Fitzgerald inspiring him to include the location in his The Great Gatsby but that was before Prohibition. During the 20's. Al Capone dined at the Oakroom -- described as a "gentleman's billiards hall". If Capone was hanging out there you know the Seelbach knew how to throw a party even when liquor was illegal. Today. The Seelbach is a very shiek Hilton hotel still furnished in a classic way that calls upon memories of the Prohibition era. The hotel also still brags how Capone visited but understates its history as a speakeasy.
This spot started out as a private home to a reverend and his family during the 1850's but when the house fell into the hands of Bill Hardy in the 1920's it became a speakeasy. Hardy had held several prominent positions including boxer jockey and "Broadway dandy" he developed some connections with those who could ply him with liquor. And so he turned his private home into a glorious speakeasy where you only had to say the secret password and you were welcomed into three stories of "Gay Nineties". The current Bill's Gay Nineties has retained the charm from the 1920's and some very loyal staff like manager & greeter Aldo Leone who has been with the restaurant for over forty-five years. The modern restaurant does its best to remind you what the historical speakeasy looked like.
While Bourbon & Branch is only a recreation of a speakeasy it is in the same space where an actual speakeasy once operated from 1921 to 1933. The speakeasy was supplied with liquor by the owner. John J. Russell who had connections with bootleggers out of Vancouver. He called the place "JJ Russell's Cigar Shop" but sold more liquor than he did cigars. The modern bar in the space today holds true to the speakeasy spirit. Guests must find their way to an unmarked door and then provide the password to someone over an intercom before they can come inside. [ADVERTHERE]Related article:
http://www.digitalcity.com/2008/11/10/americas-most-infamous-bars-former-speakeasies-and-mobster-hango/
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