I grew up in the city of Chicago during the reign of Daley I, Hizzoner da Mare. (I was an actual registered Republican in my precinct--and lived to tell the tale!) So this stuff is kinda old hat. The difference now is how blatant the corruption is--Fitzie got it on audiotape! Hee! Hee!
BTW, when I was growing up, America was divided into a number of parts:
my neighborhood, the 50th Ward, aka Nortown, West Rogers Park, West Ridge;
the North Side of the city, Cubs country;
the South Side, Sox country;
the Loop, downtown, where you took the bus and El to get to;
the suburbs, where you had to drive to get to;
that hick area downstate called "Illinois";
Wisconsin, where you took summer vacations; and
the rest of the country.
I grew up in the city of Chicago during the reign of Daley I, Hizzoner da Mare. .... BTW, when I was growing up, America was divided into a number of parts:HI ex 'neighbor'my neighborhood, the 50th Ward, aka Nortown, West Rogers Park, West Ridge...
the North Side of the city, Cubs country;
the South Side, Sox country;
But a looooong way from you, on the SW Side, in Sox Country. The 12th Ward, Brighton Park. And back before x-ways, a car ride to your neighborhood would require a packed lunch. But I'm sure I passed through it as a kid going to Fox Lake. We'd take Western Ave north to Milwaukee Ave then to US Rt 12 to Fox Lake (iirc).
Our big trip to the North Side was the loooong Bus Ride 'up' Western Ave. to Riverview Park. Then in '57 & '58 we'd go Ice Skating at the Chi Public Park near Irving or Montrose(?) & Lake Shore Drive (near/around the Totem Pole). It had the smoothest ice and the Warming Hut served Hot Dogs :-)