Dancing Mr. President and Mr. Bill. (Courtesy of Robinette family.)
William Robinette was more than the ringmaster of the amazing Stay Out All Night Disco in west suburban Stone Park.
He was a ringmaster of life.
Mr. Robinette died Tuesday afternoon after an extended illness. He was surrounded by his family and grandchildren. He was 73 years old. On March 12 he celebrated his 52nd anniversary with his wife Darlene.
Affectionately known as “Mr. Bill”, Mr. Robinette was an accomplished bassist-vocalist who in the early 1970s played in the touring bands of the Marcels and the Vogues. In the [...]
Mary Frances and Bill Veeck in March 1959 when Bill purchased 54 % of the White Sox for $2.7 million. (Photo courtesy of the Veeck family.)
There were clouds, but Mary Frances Veeck never paid much attention to them.
After I heard of the Sept. 10 passing of Mrs. Veeck I began to realize that almost every time I saw her we were sitting outside. The first time was opening day April 1976 in the Comiskey Park bleachers after her husband Bill bought the White Sox. Mr. and Mrs. Veeck looked me in the eye as we spoke. I was just a kid among 40,300 happy fans.
In July 1991 I drove to Cooperstown, N.Y. to [...]
Ron Norkus at the Acapulco Mother Hubbard’s (Courtesy of the Norkus family.)
The wheels of life are driven by beautiful mysteries.
On the surface, Ron Norkus had a colorful and wild run on this earth. On the inside, he was driven by a generous heart and a wonderful sense of humor. Mr. Norkus was labeled as an esteemed “1970s Rush Street Hall of Famer” by his pals Jimmy Rittenberg and Johnny Blandino, one of the original general managers of the Palm Restaurant in Chicago.
Mr. Norkus died on Oct. 19 from complications of Parkinson’s Disease at his home in Dallas, Tx. He was 81 years old. He [...]
Frank & Mary’s Tavern, 2905 N. Elston. (D. Hoekstra photo)
There used to be a lot of blue-collar bars like Frank and Mary’s in Chicago.
You might walk through the front door under a 44-pound replica muskie in a glass case. A brown “Richard J. Daley Mayor Vote Democratic” shopping bag might sit in a dusty frame near the flickering television near the old tin ceiling. A silver toothpick dispenser might sit in the middle of the bar.
But there’s no right in might.
Brother and sister Frank and Mary Stark opened Frank and Mary’s, 2905 N. Elston in 1972. The muskie, the Daley bag, and [...]
