Mob boss Al Capone dominated Chicago during Prohibition, and he ran bootlegging, prostitution, and gambling operations. In 1926, 21-year-old Fats Waller was on tour in Chicago, and as he left the Sherman Hotel after a performance, unidentified men approached him and forced him inside a limousine. The jazz musician had no choice but to comply with his kidnappers, as he was held at gunpoint, as reported by The Vintage News. Waller was transported to Capone’s headquarters at the Hawthorne Inn.
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Upon arrival, Waller observed the lively atmosphere. There was an ongoing party, and the men who abducted him told him to play the piano. After playing a song, Waller observed the crowd and saw that one of the people applauding was none other than Chicago’s biggest mob boss himself. It turned out that the celebration was for Capone’s 28th birthday, and his men wanted to surprise the notorious gangster by having Waller perform live for him, according to the Capital City Theatre.
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