Al Capone Hotel Hideout Listed on eBay
A hotel in Illinois that once hosted legendary mobster Al Capone has been put up for sale on eBay.
The hotel, The Mineola Lounge and Marina, is located in the northern part of Illinois in Fox Lake. It was listed for sale this week on eBay and had a starting bid of $2 million, according to reports from the Daily Herald.
The listing on eBay gives a description of the hotel and brief history. The listing stated that the lakefront property was constructed in 1884. It also explained that the hotel was placed on the National Register of Historical Places in 1979.
The property is on a 17-acre lot and includes the hotel, a full-service marina and a home containing five bedrooms, three full bathrooms and three half bathrooms.
Pete Jakstas, the property's owner, told the Daily Herald that he decided to list the property on eBay as a last resort considering he had not been able to attract local buyers and he felt he could reach a wider audience on eBay to "draw some bids from around the country" in order to finally sell the house.
Jakstas has been trying to find the right buyer for the property unsuccessfully for the past two years, according to AP.
The president of the Grant Township Historical Society says the hotel has fallen into disrepair, but has the potential to be beautiful.
The 100-room hotel on the property was a hot spot for local Chicago gangsters during prohibition who would come to partake in all manner of illicit activities.
Capone and his gang would reportedly gamble and illegally drink often at the hotel given that it was in a rural area and out of sight of the police. The Chicago Tribune even described it as "the most vicious resort," for its illegal activities.