Al Capone's Bathroom Tile From The Lexington Hotel

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AL CAPONE'S BATHROOM TILE AND WALL PAPER

FROM HIS SUITE AT THE LEXINGTON HOTEL

Bathroom floor tile from Al Capone's Lexington Suite 530

(Mario Gomes collection)

Al had a thing for light green. Closeup of the ornate light green tile that Al Capone favoured in his bathroom.

He had this same colored tile (without the ornate trim) in one of the hanging bathrooms in his master bedroom at 93 Palm Island Miami. Mae's bathroom contained lavendar colored tiles.

(Mario Gomes collection)

Capone's light green tile fragment from hanging bathroom that came from 93 Palm Avenue.

I dug this fragment up myself out of the ground on the property when I visited then owner Hank Morrison.

(Mario Gomes collection)

Nile green Tiles with royal purple trim from Al Capone's bathroom at The Lexington hotel. These specific tiles were described by John Kobler in his book called "The Life and World of Al Capone". This section of tiles shown here in my collection.

(Mario Gomes collection)

Tribune Entertainment's Sheldon Cooper and visitor inside Al Capone's bathroom in suite 530 at the Lexington Hotel.

The red square shows where the section of the wall in my collection originated from. This section is where the shower head stuck out over the lavendar bathtub.

(Photo taken by Walter Kale of the Chicago Tribune)

Al Capone's bathroom in The Lexington Hotel

(Photo courtesy of Bill Helmer)

Capone's green nile tiles.

(Photo courtesy of Bill Helmer)

Al Capone's bathroom at the Lexington with the famous tiles intact before excavation.

(Photo courtesy of Mr. Joe Walters)

Piece of tiles and wall paper from Capone suite.

(Mario Gomes collection).

Another Lexington floor plan during Capone's reign.

Lexington Hotel related items.

1920's Lexington Hotel matchbook made by the Diamond Match Co. New York.

(Mario Gomes collection)

Lexington Hotel Key fob with skeleton key circa early 1920's to early 1930.

(Mario Gomes Collection)

The Lexington hotel was Capone gang headquarters from 1928- until 1932. Through time, there became a misconception that this hotel was opulent befitting a king just because Al Capone had lived there. Unfortunately, this was not the case at all. Sure, it was once an architectural wonder back when it was first built in 1892. By the time Al Capone and gang took residence back in 1928, it was already outdated. The following is a an account by Harry Read who visited Capone for the first time in 1929. This is what he described.

The lobby of that old Gay Nineties hostelry was clean, but depressing. At our immediate left was an antiquated elevator and while we waited for it I looked about. The furniture, floors and walls wore shabby with the abuse received since the hotel's palmy days when the building stood surrounded by Chicago's millionaire colony. Through the length of the lobby stretched an old-fashioned counter presided over by the room clerk and the cashier. Against the east wall was a cigar stand; to the south, a partition of glass and wood, provided a rear wall for shops which fronted on Twenty second Street. There were several men lounging around but if they were Capone retainers they paid us no appreciable attention. The elevator crawled jerkily upward past the mezzanine and first floors. The cage had gates at either end and when it halted at the second floor, we right-about-faced to step out into the narrow long hall. Serritella led the way. At the corner where the corridor turned east he reached for the old fashioned twist bell of Room 230 and gave it a lusty turn. The shrill vibrations had hardly died before locks clicked and the door swung open about three inches."

Lexington Hotel key fob with key circa late 1920's to 1933.

(Mario Gomes Collection)

Close up of Lexington Hotel key fob.

(Mario Gomes Collection)

Fruit fork from the Lexington Hotel

(Mario Gomes collection).

Close up of the fork with "The Lexington Hotel" stamped on the back of handle.

Not to be confused with the two New york hotels by the same name. In general, Chicago's older hotel had the distinction of being named the "Lexington Hotel" or "The Lexington Hotel", while it's New York counterparts were named "Hotel Lexington" or "The Hotel Lexington". Many other hotels were named Lexington, (Virginia, Kentucky etc...) so it's improtant to research your piece, where it was manufactured according to numbers and dates. Some are fooled by items on eBay identified as the Lexington in Chicago, just because of the name Lexington.

(Mario Gomes collection).

Original hotel room door number Circa 1892-1950. These complimented the brass door knobs and plates. People started ripping them off and then eventually the ones missing were replaced with bakelite / plastic ones. The hotel by the time Capone took residence was already considered worn and shabby, so by the time it closed it was a real dump. The brass and plastic were mixed on different doors in it's latter years.

(Mario Gomes collection).

Close up of Al Capone's former suite door shows the original brass number plate contours.

From Al's suite at The Lexington Hotel. Green bathroom tile, palm tree wall paper, lavendar tile, square piece of wall with weathered palm tree wall paper and bullets dug out of the wall fired by Geraldo Rivera during his Capone t.v. special.

(Mario Gomes collection).

Closeup of Capone suite wall paper. He like to keep that Florida feeling while back in Chicago during the winter.

(Mario Gomes collection).

This wallpaper sample was unweathered from the outside elements.

(Mario Gomes collection).

Outdoor Terra Cotta from The Lexington Hotel

(Mario Gomes collection)

Piece of Al Capone's lavender bathtub.

(Mario Gomes collection)

(* Al Capone had two bathrooms, one in his suite and one in his office ).

Waterbury mechanical pencil found in Lexington Lobby

(Mario Gomes collection)

Piece of Al Capone's Room of Doom plaster wall.

(Mario Gomes collection)

Above Items grouped in a frame.

(Mario Gomes collection)

Al Capone's wallpaper and Lexington Hotel front entrance tile.

(Mario Gomes collection)

The Lexington re-invented as the New Michigan Hotel photo circa 1973.

(Photo Courtesy of Mark Kennedy)

The New Michigan Hotel 1972

(Photo courtesy of Bill Fancourt from Derbyshire, England)

Close up of wallpaper removed from Al's Lexington office.

(Special thanks to Mr. Bill Helmer)

(Mario Gomes collection)

Capone was usually a late riser, starting his day at noon to one o'clock. Lounging around in his royal blue silk p.j.'s he slowly has breakfast and begins to get dressed to face a day of business decisions and meeting and greeting businessmen, politicians and celebrities alike. Evening would be reserved for partying, drinking, gambling and carousing with ladies of the evening. The Lexington was known as a whorehouse back when Al occupied it. If Al and the gang would step out to a nightclub for entertainment, the club was immediately cordoned off to the public. If you were in the club and Al arrived, you were there to stay until Al was ready to leave. If you tried to get in when Al was in a club, you would be turned away at the door. These were tight security precautions taken to protect the big fellow from harm. If you were stuck in the club with Al, all the drinks were paid by him for your inconvienience.

Fragments of Al Capone's taste in wall paper from the Lexington.

(Special thanks to Mr. Bill Helmer)

(Mario Gomes collection)

Authentic mug from Lexington Hotel Chicago, Illinois.

(Mario Gomes collection)

Later era plastic / bakelite door tag from Lexington room.

(Mario Gomes collection)

Now back to the Lexington;

The Lexington was renamed the New Michigan Hotel in 1934. Above are paper advertisments from the 1950's

(Mario Gomes collection)

After Al was sent to prison, ex alderman John "Bathhouse "Coughlin occupied Al's suite. In 1932, all remnants of the Capone gang were finally gone from the hotel. In 1934, the Lexington was renamed the New Michigan Hotel. This was an attempt to erase the gangster stigma attached to the hotel. As the years went by, It slowly slipped from bordello to flophouse. It's last occupant was thrown out in 1980. In 1986, It's last hoorah came when Geraldo's circus arrived at the Lexington looking for gold in some safe found below said to have belonged to Al. On live tv, 60 million viewers watched that evening. Geraldo's plans also fell through!!! Al Capone had had the last laugh on Geraldo and the I.R.S, who by the way was also watching the safe opening event. The I.R.S. was still hoping to collect on the pending $200,000 owed by Al back in '32. No gold, just some empty whiskey bottles. The hotel at the time was owned by the Sunbow Foundation, a women's self help training group in which they planned a renovation coup. Lacking funds this project fell through. By 1989, the building was then owned by Dr. Ganesan Visvabharathy. He planned to renovate the Lexington, but his plans also fell through. He tried to sell, but no buyers came to the rescue.

The Lexington Hotel was demolished in the fall of 1995.

Lobby of The Lexington Hotel Chicago, Illinois

(Mario Gomes collection)

Banquet and Ballroom of The Lexington Hotel

Lexington Ballroom's ornate plaster

(Mario Gomes collection)

Photo of the Lexington Hotel staircase.

(Photo courtesy of Joe Walters)

Piece of ornate iron stair casting from Lexington hotel. See photo above.

(Mario Gomes Collection)

Early Lexington postcard.

Another view of Lexington on a postcard.

Ad for the Lexington

The New Michigan Hotel (Lexington) circa 1950.

(Postcard courtesy of my pal Bob Richards).

The Lexington was later renamed the New Michigan Hotel between the 40's and 50's.

Business card from Batt's lounge restaurant in the New Michigan hotel.

First Posted June 2001


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Closeup of the ornate light green tile that Al Capone favoured in his bathroom. He had this same colored tile (without the ornate trim) in one of the hanging bathrooms in his master bedroom at 93 Palm Island Miami. Mae's bathroom contained lavendar colored tiles. (Mario Gomes collection) Capone's light green tile fragment from hanging bathroom that came from 93 Palm Avenue. I dug this fragment up myself out of the ground on the property when I visited then owner Hank Morrison. (Mario Gomes collection) Nile green Tiles with royal purple trim from Al Capone's bathroom at The Lexington hotel. These specific tiles were described by John Kobler in his book called "The Life and World of Al Capone". This section of tiles shown here in my collection. (Mario Gomes collection) Tribune Entertainment's Sheldon Cooper and visitor inside Al Capone's bathroom in suite 530 at the Lexington Hotel. The red square shows where the section of the wall in my collection originated from. This section is where the shower head stuck out over the lavendar bathtub. (Photo taken by Walter Kale of the Chicago Tribune) Al Capone's bathroom in The Lexington Hotel (Photo courtesy of Bill Helmer) Capone's green nile tiles. (Photo courtesy of Bill Helmer) Al Capone's bathroom at the Lexington with the famous tiles intact before excavation. (Photo courtesy of Mr. Joe Walters) Piece of tiles and wall paper from Capone suite. (Mario Gomes collection). Another Lexington floor plan during Capone's reign. Lexington Hotel related items. 1920's Lexington Hotel matchbook made by the Diamond Match Co. New York. (Mario Gomes collection) Lexington Hotel Key fob with skeleton key circa early 1920's to early 1930. (Mario Gomes Collection) The Lexington hotel was Capone gang headquarters from 1928- until 1932. Through time, there became a misconception that this hotel was opulent befitting a king just because Al Capone had lived there. Unfortunately, this was not the case at all. Sure, it was once an architectural wonder back when it was first built in 1892. By the time Al Capone and gang took residence back in 1928, it was already outdated. The following is a an account by Harry Read who visited Capone for the first time in 1929. This is what he described. The Lexington Hotel The lobby of that old Gay Nineties hostelry was clean, but depressing. At our immediate left was an antiquated elevator and while we waited for it I looked about. The furniture, floors and walls wore shabby with the abuse received since the hotel's palmy days when the building stood surrounded by Chicago's millionaire colony. Through the length of the lobby stretched an old-fashioned counter presided over by the room clerk and the cashier. Against the east wall was a cigar stand; to the south, a partition of glass and wood, provided a rear wall for shops which fronted on Twenty second Street. There were several men lounging around but if they were Capone retainers they paid us no appreciable attention. The elevator crawled jerkily upward past the mezzanine and first floors. The cage had gates at either end and when it halted at the second floor, we right-about-faced to step out into the narrow long hall. Serritella led the way. At the corner where the corridor turned east he reached for the old fashioned twist bell of Room 230 and gave it a lusty turn. The shrill vibrations had hardly died before locks clicked and the door swung open about three inches." Lexington Hotel key fob with key circa late 1920's to 1933. (Mario Gomes Collection) Close up of Lexington Hotel key fob. (Mario Gomes Collection) Fruit fork from the Lexington Hotel (Mario Gomes collection). Close up of the fork with "The Lexington Hotel" stamped on the back of handle. Not to be confused with the two New york hotels by the same name. In general, Chicago's older hotel had the distinction of being named the "Lexington Hotel" or "The Lexington Hotel", while it's New York counterparts were named "Hotel Lexington" or "The Hotel Lexington". Many other hotels were named Lexington, (Virginia, Kentucky etc...) so it's improtant to research your piece, where it was manufactured according to numbers and dates. Some are fooled by items on eBay identified as the Lexington in Chicago, just because of the name Lexington. (Mario Gomes collection). Original hotel room door number Circa 1892-1950. These complimented the brass door knobs and plates. People started ripping them off and then eventually the ones missing were replaced with bakelite / plastic ones. The hotel by the time Capone took residence was already considered worn and shabby, so by the time it closed it was a real dump. The brass and plastic were mixed on different doors in it's latter years. (Mario Gomes collection). Close up of Al Capone's former suite door shows the original brass number plate contours. From Al's suite at The Lexington Hotel. Green bathroom tile, palm tree wall paper, lavendar tile, square piece of wall with weathered palm tree wall paper and bullets dug out of the wall fired by Geraldo Rivera during his Capone t.v. special. (Mario Gomes collection). Closeup of Capone suite wall paper. He like to keep that Florida feeling while back in Chicago during the winter. (Mario Gomes collection). This wallpaper sample was unweathered from the outside elements. (Mario Gomes collection). Lexington Doorknob (Mario Gomes collection). Outdoor Terra Cotta from The Lexington Hotel (Mario Gomes collection) Piece of Al Capone's lavender bathtub. (Mario Gomes collection) (* Al Capone had two bathrooms, one in his suite and one in his office ). Waterbury mechanical pencil found in Lexington Lobby (Mario Gomes collection) Piece of Al Capone's Room of Doom plaster wall. (Mario Gomes collection) Above Items grouped in a frame. (Mario Gomes collection) Al Capone's wallpaper and Lexington Hotel front entrance tile. (Mario Gomes collection) The Lexington re-invented as the New Michigan Hotel photo circa 1973. (Photo Courtesy of Mark Kennedy) The New Michigan Hotel 1972 (Photo courtesy of Bill Fancourt from Derbyshire, England) Close up of wallpaper removed from Al's Lexington office. (Special thanks to Mr. Bill Helmer) (Mario Gomes collection) Capone was usually a late riser, starting his day at noon to one o'clock. Lounging around in his royal blue silk p.j.'s he slowly has breakfast and begins to get dressed to face a day of business decisions and meeting and greeting businessmen, politicians and celebrities alike. Evening would be reserved for partying, drinking, gambling and carousing with ladies of the evening. The Lexington was known as a whorehouse back when Al occupied it. If Al and the gang would step out to a nightclub for entertainment, the club was immediately cordoned off to the public. If you were in the club and Al arrived, you were there to stay until Al was ready to leave. If you tried to get in when Al was in a club, you would be turned away at the door. These were tight security precautions taken to protect the big fellow from harm. If you were stuck in the club with Al, all the drinks were paid by him for your inconvienience. Fragments of Al Capone's taste in wall paper from the Lexington. (Special thanks to Mr. Bill Helmer) (Mario Gomes collection) . Authentic mug from Lexington Hotel Chicago, Illinois. (Mario Gomes collection) Back of mug (Mario Gomes collection) Later era plastic / bakelite door tag from Lexington room. (Mario Gomes collection) Now back to the Lexington; The Lexington was renamed the New Michigan Hotel in 1934. Above are paper advertisments from the 1950's (Mario Gomes collection) After Al was sent to prison, ex alderman John "Bathhouse "Coughlin occupied Al's suite. In 1932, all remnants of the Capone gang were finally gone from the hotel. In 1934, the Lexington was renamed the New Michigan Hotel. This was an attempt to erase the gangster stigma attached to the hotel. As the years went by, It slowly slipped from bordello to flophouse. It's last occupant was thrown out in 1980. In 1986, It's last hoorah came when Geraldo's circus arrived at the Lexington looking for gold in some safe found below said to have belonged to Al. On live tv, 60 million viewers watched that evening. Geraldo's plans also fell through!!! Al Capone had had the last laugh on Geraldo and the I.R.S, who by the way was also watching the safe opening event. The I.R.S. was still hoping to collect on the pending $200,000 owed by Al back in '32. No gold, just some empty whiskey bottles. The hotel at the time was owned by the Sunbow Foundation, a women's self help training group in which they planned a renovation coup. Lacking funds this project fell through. By 1989, the building was then owned by Dr. Ganesan Visvabharathy. He planned to renovate the Lexington, but his plans also fell through. He tried to sell, but no buyers came to the rescue. The Lexington Hotel was demolished in the fall of 1995. Lobby of The Lexington Hotel Chicago, Illinois (Mario Gomes collection) Banquet and Ballroom of The Lexington Hotel Lexington Ballroom's ornate plaster (Mario Gomes collection) Photo of the Lexington Hotel staircase. (Photo courtesy of Joe Walters) Piece of ornate iron stair casting from Lexington hotel. See photo above. (Mario Gomes Collection) Early Lexington postcard. (Joe Walters) Another view of Lexington on a postcard. (Joe Walters) Ad for the Lexington (Joe Walters) The New Michigan Hotel (Lexington) circa 1950. (Postcard courtesy of my pal Bob Richards). The Lexington was later renamed the New Michigan Hotel between the 40's and 50's. (Joe Walters) Business card from Batt's lounge restaurant in the New Michigan hotel. (Joe Walters) First Posted June 2001