Shelf Life

Category: Al Capone

  • Join me at the Classic Restaurants of Michiana Book Signing Wednesday, June 11th

    Join me at the Classic Restaurants of Michiana Book Signing Wednesday, June 11th

    The members of the Sacred Heart of Mary Catholic Church Book/Movie Discussion Group have invited me to speak this Wednesday, June 11th at 6:30 p.m. If you have the time and are interested in the history of restaurants in Michiana, please come. The church is lovely, located in a beautiful country setting at  51841 Leach Rd, Dowagiac, Michigan. The event itself is next door in the Parish Hall.

    Mary’s City of David Vegetarian Cafe in Benton Harbor, which opened in 1931 and closed in 1975, specialized in farm-to-table meals.

    Here is the flyer that Terri Moore sent out:

    Over the centuries, residents of Michiana have never wanted for superb dining choices. Award-winning author Jane Simon Ammeson will lead us on a culinary road trip through Northern Indiana and Southwestern Michigan.

    A cigarette girl at the posh House of David motor lodge and restaurant/nightclub called the Vista Grande

    Once a stagecoach stop, The Old Tavern Inn has been open since the time of President Andrew Jackson. Tosi’s is known for its gorgeous starlit garden and gastronomic traditions stretching back almost a century, and The Volcano was amongst the first pizzerias in the country.

    One of the earliest hotels in St. Joseph, the Perkins house, built in 1840, stood on the corner of State and Ship Streets. Note the side entrance for the saloon which was, of course, given the times, for men only.

    These restaurants and other classic eateries remain part of the thriving local food scene. But the doors of others have long been closed. Some like Mead’s Chicken Nook and Robertson’s Tea Room linger in memories while The Owl Saloon, O. A. Clark’s Lunch Rooms, and Lobster Lounge are long lost to time.

    The restaurant is still open at the Barbee, it was a fav of Al Capone. However, when he arrived, all the other guests had to leave.

    Jane Simon Ammeson is a food and travel columnist who has authored seventeen books, including Classic Restaurants of Northwest Indiana. Always willing to travel for food, she blogs about her experiences at janeammeson.com.

    At one time, the lakeside towns of southwesterern Berrien County had a large Swedish population. The Swedish Coffee Pot was just one of several. Only the Swedish Bakery remains.

    Light refreshments will be served

    For more information contact:

    Terri Moore, 269-782-6925, t2sewmoore@outlook.com

  • Al Capone’s Beer Wars: A Complete History of Organized Crime in Chicago during Prohibition

    Prohibition in Chicago was the ultimate business opportunity for the violent men who made up the many gangs who fought to control alcohol as well as narcotics, gambling, labor and business racketeering and prostitution in the city. And while there were turf wars during Prohibition in many American cities, Chicago was the bloodiest of all.

    “The apex of the violence in Chicago was the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre where seven men were killed,” says John J. Binder, author of  (Prometheus Books 2017; $25). “That was a record. In any other city, there were never more than two or three gang murders at one time.”

    Chicago at that time was almost completely lawless and these mobsters thought they were untouchable says Binder, adding that gangsters like Al Capone even gave interviews which added to Chicago’s reputation as did the way they did business including machine guns, drive-by shootings.

    Binder, who has been writing about organized crime for more than 25 years, is an Associate Professor Emeritus of Finance in the College of Business at the University of Illinois at Chicago. His background in business and finance is perfect for writing what is the first complete history of organized crime in Chicago during Prohibition because after all it is a business.

    “The sole goal of organized crime is to enrich their members,” says Binder. “Sure, they’re violent and sure they kill each other, it’s useful in running the business. But the goal was to make money.”

    While legendary figures like Al Capone have taken on almost mythical status, Binder says that many books don’t even cover some of the other 12 gangs who were major bootleggers in Chicago at the start of Prohibition.

    “A lot of books about Prohibition in Chicago just cover the same thing,” he says, noting that five years of research went into his book.

    The Chicago mobs’ reach also extended into Northwest Indiana says Binder who will be conducting a tour of Prohibition sites.

    “The Canadian Whiskey Superhighway ran from Detroit through Gary to Chicago,” he says.

    Ifyougo:

    What: Talk and book signing

    When: Tuesday, Oct. 10; 6 p.m. reception, 7 p.m. program

    Where: Chicago History Museum, 1601 North Clark Street, Chicago, Illinois

    Cost: $25, $20 members; cash bar available

    FYI: 312-642-4600

    What: Author and historian John J. Binder leads an in-depth tour of Chicago’s Prohibition and related crime history.

    When: Saturday, October 14 at 1 p.m.

    Where: Tour begins at the Chicago History Museum, 1601 North Clark Street, Chicago, Illinois

    Cost: $55, $45 members; tour runs 3.5 to 4 hours

    FYI: 312-642-4600