| BLOOD, GUNS & VALENTINES:
THE HAUNTING OF AL CAPONE & CHICAGO'S GANGLAND GHOSTS
What the hell? To many readers, this has been one of the most confusing books that Troy Taylor has ever published, to others, well... not so much. "Great book," read one response that we got from it, "best blend of ghost and gangsters that I've ever read." But others are confused, some believing this is another of Taylor's crime books, like the ones he does for History Press, and others confuse it with an earlier book by Taylor, Bloody Chicago. So, we went to the source and asked the author to clear up the misconceptions about the new book.
| Q: Let's get this out of the way -- is this a ghost book or a crime book? Actually, it's both but yes, this is a ghost book in that it deals with not only the vengeful ghost that haunted Capone after the St. Valentine's Day Massacre but it also features other gangster-related hauntings, from the site of the Massacre to the Four Deuces, Alcatraz to the Blackstone Hotel. I also did a lot of background and research for this book, even dispelling some of the myths and rumors about the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. I have written quite a bit about Capone and other Chicago gangsters before... but never like this. Capone has been a lifelong interest of mine and I really wanted to put everything into this book. More than any other, this was the book I hated to finish! |  | Q. So what's the difference between this book and Bloody Chicago? Yeah, there has been some confusion about that. Bloody Chicago was a title that I did about four years ago on this same series and while there was a chapter on gangster stuff in it, it was really more about crime in Chicago as a whole, and all of the ghost stories connected to it. It featured a lot of stuff that never made it into this book because it had nothing to do with the gangland era of Prohibition, like the Grimes Sisters, John Wayne Gacy, Teresita Basa, the Luegert Sausage murder, etc. They are completely different books. Q. Will this book appeal to ghost enthusiasts then? I like to think so, but then again, anyone who doesn't want their ghost stories mixed with a lot of history has come to the wrong author. Most people know that this is what I'm known for, because in my opinion, no good ghost stories can exist without the history behind them. When people complain that one of the books, or one of our tours, has too much history they're just showing their ignorance. I think of a complaint like that as a compliment! Q. One last thing -- why isn't the old roadhouse in Willow Springs that used to be Rico D's mentioned in the book? Well, that's an easy one. First let me say that the place may be haunted, in fact it's likely that it is, but not for the reasons that some people claim -- and for nothing to do with Al Capone! Some of the past owners have claimed that the roadhouse was connected to Capone or to his brother, Frank. In fact, they claimed that both men hung out there --- but that's absolutely impossible! The roadhouse was not built until 1936, when Capone was in prison and about 12 years after Frank Capone was killed. It was built by John Verderbar, who owned the Willowbrook Ballroom across the road (of Resurrection Mary fame) and had nothing to do with the Capone mob. Yes, there was gambling there and probably a lot of violence, but there's no evidence at all that any of it was connected to gangland Chicago, which is why I didn't include it in the book. I had already debunked the myths about the place in 2006 when I wrote my book about Archer Avenue. Blood. Guns & Valentines is available to order from Whitechapel Press in the "Dead Men Do Tell Tales Series". You can click here to get an autographed copy -- and check out the excerpt from the book later on in the newsletter!
*********************************************************************** WICKED NORTHERN ILLINOIS: THE DARK SIDE OF THE PRAIRIE STATE
This new release from History Press slipped out of the shadows on Troy's birthday last week and began appearing on area bookstore shelves and we're now featuring it here so that our readers can get autographed copies from the website!
WICKED NORTHERN ILLINOIS BY TROY TAYLOR | In another bloody title from History Press, author Troy Taylor reveals the secret underbelly of Illinois' prairie in a book that promises to uncover the mysteries, murders and mayhem of the Central and Northern sections of the state. From the secrets of Joliet Penitentiary to the ferocious gunfights between the Ku Klux Klan and the Shelton gang, Taylor tales the measure of dishonest sweat and innocent blood poured into the heart of Illinois. Meet the "fallen angels" of Decatur's notorious red-light districts, the Springfield counterfeiters who bungled the stealing of Abraham Lincoln's bones, the Aurora man who propped up his porch with a concrete block contained the severed heads of his wife and brother-in-law, the killers of one of Illinois' most prominent early residents, the bandits, thieves and outlaws who once prowled the state, the famous baseball pitcher who became one of America's first murderous professional sports figures, the mysterious Mildred Allison -- the body by the railroad tracks, the infamous Starved Rock killer and others! Don't miss this chilling title from the author who isn't afraid to dip his pen into blood! $18.00 |  | The new title is available from the website -- along with Troy's other Illinois true crime titles -- by following this link to the order page. All customers receive autographed copies! *********************************************************************** HAUNTED AMERICA WEST COAST CONFERENCE
FEBRUARY 18-19, 2011 / SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
| America's Original Ghost Conference Expands to San Diego for the 15th Spooktacular Year of Operations! Join at the Scottish Rite Event Center in San Diego February 18-19, 2010 for the Biggest Event of the Winter!
Join Host and Author Troy Taylor and Co-Host Lauren Kasak of Lumia Paranormal Research Services as America's Original Ghost Conference journeys to San Diego, California for its first West Coast Conference! Join us for a spirited weekend of ghosts, hauntings and the unexplained and experience the history and hauntings of San Diego with our conference, haunted tours, ghost hunts and more! It's going to be the first big ghost weekend of 2011! The West Coast Conference will be held the weekend of February 18-19, 2011 at the Scottish Rite Event Center in San Diego. Join us for our first Ghost Conference on the West Coast and discover nationally-known speakers on ghosts, hauntings and the supernatural. The event will include lectures and presentations on hauntings, haunted tours, ghost hunts, after-hours events In Old Town San Diego and much more! |  |  | Speakers for the Event will include:
Troy Taylor; Tiffany Johnson; Rosemary Ellen Guiley; Richard Senate; Patrick Burns; Nicole Strickland; Antonio Garcez & Special Guest, Len Adams General Admission Includes: Access to opening events on Friday evening and ALL regular conference sessions on Saturday! | Special After Hours Events Include: * Psychic Gallery Reading with Tiffany Johnson * Haunted Walking Tours of Old Town San Diego * Late Night Ghost Hunts at Old Town locations * Haunted Bus Tour & Victorian Séance * Ghost Hunt Aboard the Berkeley Steamship Tickets for the After Hours events are separate from general admission are sold on a first come / first served basis! Click Here to Register Now! | | ***********************************************************************
AMERICAN HAUNTINGS GHOST HUNTS, OVERNIGHTS & EXCURSIONS
See the New Events that have been added for 2011!
Click Here to Visit the American Hauntings Home Page! This past year has a been a record-breaking year for us in regards to just how many new overnights, ghost hunts and events that we have added to the schedule -- and how many of you took advantage of these great events! It looks like 2011 is going to be even more exciting and we already have a number of events listed on the schedule. Take a look at a few remaining events (that are not sold out yet) for 2010 and see what we have in store for you for next year... so far!! January 8: Night at the Original Springs Hotel Okawville, Illinois -- We return to this mysterious and haunted hotel for another all-night ghost hunt that includes one night's hotel stay, dinner for two, tour and ghost hunt! St. Louis, Missouri -- Another all-night ghost hunt at one of America's most haunted houses! Hear the TRUE stories of the Lemp mansion, NOT what you've seen on TV! March 11-12: Haunted Weekend in New Orleans Escape from cold weather and journey with us to New Orleans for an amazing weekend of ghost hunts, tours and America's most haunted city! April 29-30: Haunted Weekend in Gettysburg Come back for another of our guest's favorite trips as we explore of the country's most haunted locations -- during the day and night -- the Gettysburg battlefield. August 5-6: Bell Witch Weekend Adams, Tennessee -- A favorite weekend of the summer is back! Join us in the heart of Bell Witch country for a history and hauntings weekend, optional canoe trip, tours, after dark exploration of the Bell Witch Cave and more! And that's just a sample of the events that we have to come! We'll be adding many others in the weeks and months to come, but don't miss out on those you really want to attend by waiting too long to get signed up!
*********************************************************************** JOIN TROY TAYLOR FOR A "RESURRECTION MARY TOUR" ON DECEMBER 3!
You asked for it and now it's here -- Troy Taylor returns for another night on Haunted Archer Avenue in pursuit of Chicago's most famous ghost! Join Troy for his annual winter tour, first started in 2004! Weird Chicago's Resurrection Mary Tour: Created by Troy Taylor and based on his book Resurrection Mary (recently featured on the Travel Channel), Chicago's original Archer Avenue tour travels the length of this infamous highway, searching for not only the TRUE story behind the legend of Resurrection Mary but uncovering the dark and often bloody history of Archer Avenue from Chinatown to Maple Lake, the Grimes sisters murder site and more! Taylor will also take you to the real-life homes of the girls who became "Mary", the Willowbrook Ballroom, locations made famous by Mary and more!
Click Here to Get More Info and Make Reservations! |  | ************************************************************************ BOOK EXCERPT FROM "BLOOD, GUNS & VALENTINES":
Enjoy this short, but NEVER BEFORE PUBLISHED piece about a ghost story connected to one of Chicago's lost, but infamous, gangland sites, the infamous Four Deuces! GHOSTS OF THE FOUR DEUCES
Made famous by Al Capone and Johnny Torrio, the building that was home to the infamous Four Deuces had a history in Chicago before – and after—the Outfit’s tenancy in the place. It had rumors of a haunting that can be traced back both to the time of Four Deuces and possibly, to a horrific incident that occurred long after the mob was gone. The building that would gain a reputation as the Four Deuces, in the heart of the South Side Levee District, was built around 1880. It was part of a block of buildings and the four-story structure held four apartments, one on each floor. In 1901, the building was purchased during a foreclosure auction by the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. They in turn sold it to Solomon Friedman, who opened a saloon on the main floor. It joined the dozens of other saloons already operating on the Levee. In 1903, Mayor Harrison sent out a notice to the owners of saloons on South Wabash warning them to respect the midnight closing law. If they did not, they could be shut down for good and their liquor licenses revoked. Friedman was one of those who received a notice. |  | A number of unsavory establishments opened nearby, offering gambling and prostitution. Sol Van Praag, a First Ward politician who also dabbled in gambling, opened a cigar store at 2226 South Wabash, which he used as a front for various operations. The place was often raided, including one raid in 1917 when seventeen people were arrested for being involved in an open craps game. Van Praag eventually rented the place to Martin Guilfoyle, who shot and killed a hoodlum named Peter Gentleman in the store in 1919. Soon after, John Torrio took over the entire building at 2222 South Wabash and opened the Four Deuces. The establishment offered drinking, gambling and prostitution, and it was where Al Capone had his first job in Chicago, working as a capper for the brothel. According to gangland rumor, a torture chamber was located in the basement of the building where rival gangsters were forced to give up information – and sometimes their lives. After repeated raids during the tenure of Mayor Dever, the Torrio-Capone outfit moved their operations to Cicero and the Four Deuces was closed down. It later became an apartment building but was still the scene of horror. On April 9, 1932, a woman who lived in a third floor apartment ended her life by setting herself on fire in a bathtub filled with kerosene. The building was torn down in the spring of 1964, but that didn’t put an end to the rumors that circulated around the neighborhood. According to tenants during the last decades of the building’s existence, the place was haunted. Stories claimed that screams, moans and wails could often be heard coming the basement – where gangsters once met violent ends during extended torture sessions. Another story claimed that the sound of a woman screaming was sometimes heard in the third floor apartment. According to a witness who lived there, he once heard a blood-curdling scream echoing from his bathroom. When he dared to look, he found the room empty – but he swore that the faint smell of burning flesh was still in the air. “I served in France during the war,” he told a reporter. “I know what death smells like and that was in the air of that room.” The bathroom was the same one in which the woman set herself on fire in 1932.
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 OCTOBER 2010 October 5: Weird & Haunted Illinois with Troy Taylor: Bloomington Public Library in Bloomington, Illinois; 7:00 p.m. October 8: Night at the Lincoln Theater: Decatur, Illinois -- Join us for an overnight ghost hunt at one of America's most haunted places! SOLD OUT! October 9: Night at Whispers Estate: Mitchell, Indiana -- Return with us for another all-night, private ghost hunt at one of Indiana's most haunted spots! SOLD OUT! October 9: Night at the Hockenhull Building: Jacksonville, Illinois -- Come along for a ghost hunt at this spooky location, where tragedy claimed the lives of the last occupants! Reservations! October 16: Night at the Old Funeral Home: Jacksonville, Illinois -- Search for the lingering spirits of this former boarding house and funeral home, where ghosts of the past still linger! SOLD OUT! October 23: Night at the Haunted Rectory: Jacksonville, Illinois -- Return with us to one of our spookiest and most unusual locations, the old Our Savior Church Rectory! SOLD OUT! October 30: Night at the Eldred House: Eldred, Illinois -- Join us for a special Halloween Eve event at the notoriously haunted Eldred house and grounds! Reservations! NOVEMBER 2010
November 6: Night at Rolling Hills Asylum: E. Bethany, New York -- Join us for a private, overnight ghost hunt at this former insane asylum, home to scores of resident spirits! SOLD OUT!
November 6: Night at the Old Courthouse & Jail: Carlinville, Illinois -- Visit the infamous Macoupin County Courthouse and old jail on a hunt for the lingering ghosts from the past! Reservations! November 12: Night at the Ax Murder House: Villisca, Iowa -- Join us for a night at one of America's most haunted houses! Reservations! November 13: Murder & Mayhem in Chicago at the Lisle History Museum! Join author Troy Taylor for some of the Windy City's bloodiest tales. Located at 921 School Street in Lisle, Illinois. Program begins at 4:00 p.m. November 13: Night at the Haunted Mansion: Carrollton, Illinois -- Return with us to the haunted Lee-Baker-Hodges house on the city's historic square! Reservations! November 19: Book Signing with Troy Taylor at the Frugal Muse Bookstore; 7511 Lemont Road; Darien, Illinois (southeast corner of 75th and Lemont) Meet the author and get signed copies of ghost and crime books! This electronic message is intended for newsletter subscribers. Please note that any form of distribution, copying or use of this communication, or the information it contains, is strictly prohibited without the express permission of the sender. Any use of this communication without permission is unlawful and a violation of federal copyright standards. If you have received this communication in error, please return it to the sender. © Copyright 2010 by Troy Taylor. All Rights Reserved.
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