Alyssa is joined by Pat Westmacott to discuss the history of Soldier Field as well as the Bears history of threatening to leave the city. 
 Show Notes: NYT: Soldier Field: A Football Cathedral Never Really Meant for Football South Side Weekly: Stadium Shenanigans Chicago Tribune: Soldier Field ready for next round Chicago Magazine: Field of Pain NBC-5: Taxpayers Still Owe $640M on 2002 Soldier Field Renovation 
 Axios: Chicago Bears have a long road ahead in lakefront stadium fight Chicago Tribune: The Chicago Bears have called Soldier Field home since 1971 — but they have flirted with leaving the downtown stadium several times since Chicago Magazine: Football Has Always Been Good Politics in Chicago SI: Bears Issue Statement on Proposal to Build Dome Over Soldier Field CST: White Sox, Bears discussing ‘financing partnership’ for two stadiums, developer says NBC News: Chicago Bears offer blunt statement after questions on Arlington Heights future arlingtonpark.chicagobears.com CNN: Chicago Bears to invest over $2 billion to build new stadium near Soldier Field, reversing plans to move from city center   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Soldier Field:  More StadiumGate

Alyssa Dyksterhouse, Chicago tour guide, history lover and research extraordinaire, walks her friends through her favorite well-known and lesser-known moments in Chicago’s quirky past while exploring each story's parallels to current affairs.

Society & Culture

Personal Journals

History

Philosophy

Places & Travel

News

News Commentary

In this episode, Alyssa is joined by Hugh Yeman to discuss "The Mystery of Al Capone's Vault" an event that catapulted Geraldo into a new direction and impacted the media market to this day. 
 Show Notes: AV Club: When Geraldo Rivera opened Al Capone’s vault, he turned nothing into ratings Mental Flow: Oral History: When Geraldo Rivera Opened Al Capone's Vault Washington Post: GERALDO'S MAKEOVER The Video Chicago Tribune: Vintage Chicago Tribune: Watch and revisit ‘The Mystery of Al Capone’s Vaults’ hosted by Geraldo Rivera AV Club: Read This: 30 years ago, Geraldo Rivera opened Al Capone’s sadly empty vault The Vintage News: 30 million people watched as Al Capone’s secret treasure vault was opened…and it was empty   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Mystery of Al Capone's Vaults: Richard J. Daley Rolled Over in his Grave!

In this episode Alyssa is joined by David Baxter to discuss the history of Pride in Chicago.   Show Notes: Chicago Magazine: A Brief History of Chicago’s Pride Parade WTTW: How Chicago’s Pride Parade Grew from a Small March to a Big Event Out & Proud in Chicago Windy City Times: From a March to a Parade: Chicago's Pride History NPR: Gloria Gaynor: 'I Will Survive' Is 'The Core Of My Purpose' Pink Triangles Rising 10 Historic LGBTQ Moments in Chicago Curbed: 10 Historic LGBTQ Sites to Vistit National Park Service: Chicago: Queer Histories at the Crossroads of America Business Insider: I toured LGBTQ-friendly neighborhoods in 3 cities during Pride Month and found they all honor LGBTQ people in unique ways NBC Chicago: 9 Things to Know About Pride Parade NBC Chicago: New route, timing and more: What to know about the 2024 Chicago Pride Parade   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Queer Pride in Chicago:  Every Kick is a Boost

Alyssa is joined by Pat Westmacott of The Grinning Barretts to talk about Chicago's Punk Icon, Wesley Willis with a few fun digressions. 
 Show Notes: Washington Post: Songs in His Head Steve Albini Chicago Reader: The Wesley Willis Fiasco Wesley Willis: Too Much Too Soon? All Music: Feel the Power Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine Wesley Willis Bio Vice: Remembering Wesley Willis, Ten Years Later Thrillist: He Wupped Batman's Ass: The Complex Simplicity of Chicago Legend Wesley Willis New York Times: Wesley Willis, 40, Underground Musician 
   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wesley Willis:  A Punk Icon

Alyssa takes a break from crime and corruption to tell Vanessa from Reel Relationships about a living local hero and one of the reasons Chicago is the greatest American city. 
 Show Notes: 
 WTTW: Chicago Portrait: Tamale Guy DNA Info: Is Running Into The Tamale Guy a Religious Experience? Yes, Yelpers Say Thrillist: An Interview With Chicago's Dive Bar Hero, the Tamale Man Chicago Tribune: 'Tamale Guy' an icon at bars where kitchens close early Chicago Sun-Times: Tamale Guy returns: Claudio Velez feeling ‘completamente great’ as he relaunches bar route, sets up shop at Lone Wolf Chicago Tribune: ‘Tamale Guy’ Claudio Velez sues restaurant partners, alleging they froze him out while profiting off his likeness and recipes The Infatuation: Court Battles, COVID, And Collateral Damage: A Year Of Drama For Chicago’s Tamale Guy Gapers Block: In Search of the Tamale Guy Eater: The Saga of Chicago ‘Tamale Guy’ Claudio Velez Eater: Tamale Guy Visits 20 Bars and Makes 1,500 Tamales on First Day Back Eater: Tamale Guy Moves Operations to Wicker Park Eater: Tamale Guy Gears Up For Thursday Debut on Randolph Street Eater: The Secret Origin of Chicago’s Tamale Guy Mashed: The Truth About Chicago's Famous Tamale Guy   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Tamale Guy:  Underground Superstar

With Ed Burke Day mere days away, Alyssa invited Morgan Stringer from Hot Dockets to the Dirksenverse to explore Operation GAMBAT which involved putting away bad people who fixed murders and other stuff.  
 In addition the FBI Op we talk about the following: Ed Burke’s racism Costume critique Return of the FBI Theatre Troop and some bad casting Dersh Alex Jones It should cost more to be corruptible Current state of the Board of Ethics 
 Show Notes: 
 Foreign Policy: Judges on the Take Chicago Tribune: OPERATION GREYLORD WINDS DOWN Daily Journal Remember Graylord, Gambit Cases Chicago Tribune: `SORRY, ASHAMED’ ROTI GETS 4-YEAR TERM LA Times: ‘Thousand Points of Corruption’ : A travel guide practically guarantees tourists that a Chicago official will be indicted during their stay. The fabled machine may be gone, but dirty politics is alive and well. Chicago Magazine: Devils’ Advocate Chicago Sun-Times: GAMBAT CHARGES Chicago Sun-Times: 'My only goal was to clean up the court system' Chicago Sun-Times: COP-BEATING VERDICT PROBED Chicago Sun-Times: 2 FBI agents posed as lawsuit feuders Chicago Sun-Times: Lawyer's cop roots put to use in undercover job Chicago Sun-Times:Lawyer Cooley describes a life of crime WTTW: Ald. Jim Gardiner Fined $20K For Violating Ethics Ordinance by Slapping Critic with Unfounded Tickets Burke Picture CNN: Blagojevich's lead defense lawyer to resign When Corruption Was King: How I Helped the Mob Rule Chicago, Then Brought the Outfit Down   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Soldier Field: More StadiumGate

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