Little Chicago - Visiting Al Capone's Tennessee

Johnson City, Tennessee was known as "Little Chicago" during the prohibition era for the part it played in bootlegging, gambling and various illegal activities encouraged by the infamous Mafia gangster, Al Capone.

Bootleg whiskey was alsways a familiar site in this area because of the deep,cool facets of the Appalachian Mountains. Johnson City was full of it's own whiskey and profitable stills when Al Capone and his mob of friends discovered it. Half way between Chicago and Florida, the railroad town was just isolated enough to seem like the perfect stopping point for the industrious ant-prohibitionists.

The first stop for any tourist should be the Appalachian Ghost tours where you can tour the actual site of the John Sevier Hotel, where Capone is said to have held secret meetings and rendezvous with other mobsters. There have been many ghost sightings throughout the years. Taking this tour will give you a first hand chance to walk the same streets as Al Capone and perhaps catch a celestial site of your own. Learn about the mass murder here and the origins of NASCAR. Rum runners and bootleggers had to have very fast cars. These cars later evolved into the NASCAR racing circuit View the underground tunnels and escape routes used during prohibition.

The High Point Restaurant in Monteagle, Tennessee is another great stop when tasting Tennessee Al Capone style. Once the mansion purchased for his mistress and their two daughters, it was renovated and turned into an upscale restaurant. The mansion still holds the underground escape tunnels and rooftop hatches used by the mobsters. Check out the stone patio where Al Capone and John Dillinger sat and drank in the mountainous hide away, The three story mansion is complete with the original flooring and light fixtures.

Local legend tells of each floor of the restaurant being lined in a layer of sand to prevent bullet penetration. Not only is this a great addition to any Al Capone themed tour but the menu is very exclusive. Only top chefs are chosen to cook here and the food is made from fresh ingredients and great care. Items like Blackened Salmon Oscar and 12 oz of prime cut New York Strips and ribeye's have earned the restaurant the Best Gourmet Meal in Tennessee award.

It is no longer referred to as Lil Chicago but there is still so much of Al Capone's memory here. Although it may not be considered the towns most shining bit of history, it is an excellent way to relive and recount part of American life past. Any Capone enthusiasts will have memories for a lifetime.