In this episode we discuss two tragedies that shaped Chicago and made national news.

Show Notes:

Time Out Chicago: The E2 tragedy nine years later
Chicago Tribune: Friday marks 20 years since E2 nightclub’s deadly crowd crush in South Loop, one of the worst in Chicago history
CNN: Chicago overwhelmed by nightclub deaths
NYT: 21 Die in Stampede of 1,500 at Chicago Nightclub
Block Club Chicago: E2 Nightclub Owners Responsible in Deadly Stampede: Illinois Supreme Court
WGN: Twenty Years Ago: Remembering the E2 Disaster
﻿ABA Journal: 10 years after fatal Chicago porch collapse, $16.6M case concludesCBS News: Without Warning, ChaosNYT: 12 Die in Chicago As Crowded Decks Collapse at a Party
CBS News: On this Day 20 Years Ago
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2003 Tragedies:  E2 and the Porch Collapse

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

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

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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
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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
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The Dirksenverse:  Operation GAMBAT

In this episode Alyssa is joined by Steven Ray Morris of See Jurassic Right and formerly My Favorite Murder to discuss the 1950's murder of the Grimes Sisters.  

Show Notes:

Chicago Reader: Death and the Maidens
Chicago Now: Unsolved Chicago Grimes Sisters’ Murder is 59 Years Old
Newcity: A Killer and A Movie: When Two Brutal Murders Brought Fear to Chicago
WGN: Grimes Sisters' killings blamed for Chicago's loss of innocence
The Two Lost Girls: The Mystery of the Grimes Sisters (Dead Men Do Tell Tales)
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Grimes Sisters: Chicago's "Most" Famous Cold Case

Alyssa is joined by Ben Mandelker of Watch What Crappens to discuss the life and times of Chef Charlie Trotter. Some of you might be asking, "Who?" Well, take a listen because aside from being Gordon Ramsay before Gordon Ramsay he profoundly impacted Chicago's dining culture with some influence on Top Chef.

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Show Notes:
Book: Charlie Trotter: How One Superstar Chef and His Iconic Chicago Restaurant Helped Revolutionize American Cuisine
IMDB: Love Charlie: The Rise and Fall of Charlie Trotter
New York Times: Charlie Trotter, a Leader Left Behind
New York Times: Charlie Trotter Dies at 54; Chef Made Chicago a Must
Chicago Magazine: Charlie Trotter Is Alive And Well
Chicago Sun-Times: Charlie Trotter exhibit a glimpse of the man behind the legend
People: Chef Graham Elliot Remembers Charlie Trotter
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2003 Tragedies: E2 and the Porch Collapse

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