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The Green Mill
The Green Mill Gardens at 4800 Broadway
(Chicago Telephone directory 1923).


The Green Mill is one of the most popular spots of the bygone gangster era that is still around today. The Green mill Gardens was originally a 25th ward roadhouse run in the early 1900's by a man known as Pop Morse.  In September of 1910, Tom Chamales negociated a deal through brokers Young and Johnson  with landowner Charles Hoffman to lease the land  for 15 years on condition of  building and expanding the former Morse Roadhouse situated at then Evanston and Lawrence Avenues. (The latter later becomes 4800 Broadway). He would pay $11,000 a year rent and buy all the fixtures inside worth $20,000.
Chamales also had to make $30,000 of improvements following the 6 months after his signature dried on the contract.
Plans of a huge sunken garden were made, a place where revellers could feast on the outdoors in the summer months listening to an orchestra.
The whole area ran 138'  by 150'  including a music hall and restaurant had a garden was enclosed in the Winter time and thrown open for the hot summers.


 
Originally known as Pop Morse's roadhouse the new Green Mill Sunken gardens was now owned by Thomas Chamales. This ad announces the new grand opening for June 26, 1914.





Champagne bucket from the Green Mill Gardens circa 1914.
(Mario Gomes collection with special thanks to Pat Carie)



On July 24, 1915,  a disaster struck the city of Chicago. A local passenger boat called the S.S. Eastland capsized before launch killing 845 passengers and crew.  Various papers such as the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Herald and the Chicago Examiner formed fundraising committees.
Annenberg's Tribune, the most popular fundrasing enterprise, generated the most interest.
The Green Mill  also sprung into immediate action to help victim's families by hosting benefit shows to raise funds.
All the major cabaret stars put their competiveness aside to join up at the Green Mill to raise money.
Stars of the day like Miss Isabella Paricola, Joseph Santley, Ruth Randall, Valli Valli, Roy Atwell and Marguerite Kenvin Rafferty appeared as well as many others.


Miss Isabella Patricola, a regular entertainer at the Green Mill Gardens


Lots of money came pouring in, so much so that then Mayor Wiliam Hale Thompson had to place an ad in the newspaper thanking and letting people know that their charitable goals had been met and then some.




Marguerite Kenvin Rafferty

In 1918, the landowner of which the Mill was standing on was essentially foreclosed by the Government's heavy restriction on the sale of liquor and the impending Prohibition act. Hoffman claims because of alcohol restrictions the Mill couldn't reap the benefits intended. He had two mortgages on the land amounting to $95,000 which he had to pay back to a Charles K. Anderson.
Anderson having recieved no payment had no choice, but to file the foreclosure in court.





Tom Chamales




Chamales assured the public that the Green Mill would continue to operate no matter what, as the affected property was not the one onto which his Mill was situated and also due to the fact that he was only the owner of the building, and not of the mentioned foreclosed land. Chamales will start buying up various properties around Chicago from the Green Mills profits and will eventually own the half interest in the land on which his Mill stands.

In the 1920's Chamales operates the Green Mill Cafe with so much success that he was once offered 1 million for it. He refused the offer. Many times police conduct raids on the Green Mill for prohibition violations. Police find it hard to make charges stick when a bottle of whiskey is found under the table amongst five patrons all of whom claim the bottle isn't theirs.

Wherever there are men, women and alcohol in the mix, there will always be violence! Several shootings occur at the Green mill. Some outside the club and other mysterious deaths happen to patrons who leave the club. (Poisonings, murder due to jealousy etc..). It seems to be the appropriate place to setup meetings of business, (nefarious or legitimate), love affairs and sometimes murder. Many gangsters frequent the place. Opposing gangsters take anight off from warefare to indulge in jazz and comedy at the Green Mill. It was not uncommon to spot Northsider Vincent Drucci one night and Capone or McGurn on another night  



Underside of the silver and nickel champagne bucket.
(Mario Gomes collection with special thanks to Pat Carie)


In May 1923, Balaban and Katz had paid $400,000 to Chamales for the land that now occupied the Uptown theater. Chamales had kept the Green Mill sort of intact, but nontheless reducing it's original size.







Who knows what celebrity had his Champagne sitting in this bucket.
Names like Sophie Tucker, Helen Morgan, Charles Chaplin, Al Jolson and Eddie Cantor were just a small sampling of the who's who that partied at the Green Mill.
(Mario Gomes collection with special thanks to Pat Carie)







Close up of name and company who made this piece. Gotham Silver co was a New York based company who made top notch quality restaurant and hotel silverware for major restaurants and hotels around the U.S.
(Mario Gomes collection with special thanks to Pat Carie)






In the Summer, simple ads such as these would appear enticing partygoers.






Green Mill postcard.
(Special thanks to Mr. Kevin Clutter)





In the Winter the ad would change the name to Green Mill Winter Gardens.



Texas Guinan and the Green Mill.
One of the newsworthy events that happened at the Green Mill was when party fun girl Texas Guinan (real name Mary Louise Cecile Guinan) came to the Green Mill. In the spring of 1930, her agent had rented out the Green Mill for a couple of weeks. The huge profits made there would be to pay the rent and whatever was left over would go to her and her troupe.

 On March 24,1930, at about four in the morning, three shots rang out inside the Mill. Leon Sweitzer was nicked by the shots. The shooters were Guinan's self imposed manager Harry Voiler and his bodyguard Arthur Reed. Voiler and Reed are both ex-convicts. Sweitzer and his partner Leonard Leon had sublet the Green Mill to Voiler and Guinan in December.
Sweitzer and Leonard had given up their ownership in the Green Mill club and opened one called The Little Club.
Voiler had refused to continue paying Sweitzer upon the agreed date of May 1st. An argument ensued and Voiler whipped out gun and started shooting. The Green Mill as a result is closed down for days. Guinan and her troupe move on back to New York and then Europe. During this Guinan appearance, Leo Vincent Brothers, who is later convicted of shooting and killing Tribune reporter Alfred "Jake" Lingle is hired at the Green Mill as a manager and bouncer for the princely some of $100 a week.
Brothers was hired through gangster connections. By then the gangster element was deeply rooted into the Green Mill.

A 1930 party favor from way back featuring Texas Guinan at the Green Mill
(Mario Gomes collection)




Texas Guinan name on the Green Mill's marquee 1930.






Green Mill bandstand.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)








Comfy booths in the Green Mill.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)







Green Mill bar towards front entrance.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)








Ornate ceiling light.
(Photo Mario Gomes collection)









Supposed Alfred Lingle hitman Leo Vincent Brothers.




Ad with Joe E. Lewis appearing at The Frolics, while Texas Guinan was in town at the Green Mill yelling "Hello Suckers!" Joe E. Lewis was supposedly attacked by Jack McGurn sent goons for going over to entertain at another establishment.  See Joe E. Lewis
(Bill Helmer Collection)

In May of 1931, Walgreen's leases part of the old Green Mill Gardens land to build a corner drug store.   
In January of 1932 Tom Chamales is in debt to the banks for several properties. By then the gross yearly rentals of which he has half interest for the Green Mill is $45,000.

In November of 1931, Hoffman and Chamales lease part of the Green Mill to Earl J.F. Stein to build a ballroom.



Over the decades, It has changed hands, has had many managers and also address number. The original address of 4800 is now  4802 Broadway.
The current 4802 broadway address was originally used as a real estate office in the late 30's by former Green Mill owner Tom Chamales. Several months prior to the 1939 sale, the indoor show part of the old sunken gardens and cafe was remodeled into a ballroom called the Paradise.





The Green Mill Cafe circa 1930.




The Green Mill today, known as the Green Mill Cocktail lounge has sizeably shrunk from it's original inception of 1914.
(Mario Gomes)


On August 11, 1939, The Green Mill was sold for $210,000. It was purchased by unknown persons from John L. Patten whose dad was a famous board of trade operator. Patten had obtained the land and building once Chamales had foreclosed on a mortgage he took out on the property.





The Green mill still has some of the original furnishings, such as the bar.
(Mario Gomes)





Token from the famous Green Mill
(Mario Gomes collection)






Inside Green Mill on the table is a fake autographed photo of Al Capone. Some state Capone had a special table facing the two doors. Truth is Capone could of sat anywhere as the club was closed when Capone entered and people inside couldn't leave when Capone was inside.  This was a matter of Capone's security. Patrons were given free drinks all night for their inconvenience.
(Mario Gomes collection)




On July 12,1963,  Thomas T. Chamales, who was one of the first Greek settlers in Chicago and was reknowned as the Green Mill owner passes away in  Newport, R.I. He had owned many clubs Hotels and properties during his lifetime. His late son Thomas Jr. was an author who wrote "Never So Few" and "Go Naked In The World."


Yours truly during the Home and Bunker / Al Capone documentary inside the famous Green Mill.







The Green Mill is still very popular today.  Many Hollywood movies were filmed inside it. Many celebrities have visited it as they had done in the past.  Even world reknowned Johnny Depp took a break from filming to soak up some jazz during his Dillinger shoot.
Special thanks goes to Mr. Dave Jemilo, who bought the run down Mill and turned it back to it's glorious days.






First Posted March 2004