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An Illinois distillery owner was astonished recently when he came across a hidden gun from the era of Al Capone — still fully loaded with historic ammo.
The gun — a Colt 1908 manufactured in 1921 — was found at the Thornton Distilling Company, housed in the oldest standing brewery in Illinois.
The building was under the control of the Capone and Torrio families, as well as the Chicago Outfit, during the Prohibition era, according to historical accounts. It was established in 1857.
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Andrew Howell, the founder of the Thornton Distilling Company, told Fox News Digital that he spotted the pistol inside the wall of an underground limestone well.
The weapon was “sealed inside what appears to be an old, abandoned exhaust vent from a potbelly stove,” said Howell.
A loaded Prohibition-era pistol was recently discovered hidden inside a historic Illinois distillery. The image on the right shows gangsters gathered at the same distillery building during the Al Capone era. (Thornton Distilling Company; Obtained by Thornton Distilling Company)
“I was checking the pathway to see if we could run a conduit through it when I noticed some loose mortar on the side,” he recalled.
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“Upon pulling back two large pieces, I found the gun. It seems it was sealed in there long before the mortar began to deteriorate, but it’s hard for us to say when.”
“The vent is quite offputting, so we feel fortunate that a guest didn’t reach in there and explore.”
The distillery owner said the gun was holstered and loaded with a full magazine.
Officers from the Thornton Police Department ran the gun’s serial numbers and confirmed that the gun “is free of any criminal associations,” Howell said.
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“They noted that the ammunition appears to date back to the 1920s,” he added.
“Initially, we weren’t sure of its age, so we wanted to ensure it wasn’t reported as missing.”
Police confirmed the hidden handgun dated back to the 1920s and had no criminal record. The right image shows gangsters at the distillery building during its Prohibition-era control. (Thornton Distilling Company; Obtained by Thornton Distilling Company)
It’s likely that it was hidden in the 1920s, Howell said. As for how he was feeling when he found the gun, he said it was a mix of excitement and anxiety.
“I’m relieved we found it before any guests did, as we host tour groups down there often,” he said.
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“The vent is quite offputting, so we feel fortunate that a guest didn’t reach in there and explore.”
Al Capone was one of the most well-known gangsters of the 20th century and was a symbol of organized crime in Chicago. (Getty Images)
Howell mentioned the gun adds to a long line of interesting artifacts found at the brewery, including beer order postcards from the mid-1800s.
“These items are on display at our bar and restaurant, along with full bottles of beer that were found and pre-Prohibition signage that we discovered buried outside the building,” he said.
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“We plan to showcase the pistol alongside these artifacts,” Howell added.
“We look forward to learning more about its history.”
