I am wondering if any of you "Back of the Yarders" remember a kind of street gang from the 50's called the Rebels. They were primarily from the area of Cornell Square. They had competition in a gang that started out as a softbal team, called the Outlaws from around Garfied Blvd. The Outlaws were kind of short lived.

I came across a pretty extensive site dedicated to the old street gangs/greasers. About 2/3 of the way down, the Cornell Square Rebels are mentioned. Hope this helps!

[url=http://www.stonegreasers.com/greaser/chicago.html]Chicago Stone Greasers[/url]

The Cornell Square gang faught many rivals in the 50s and 60s, including the Almighty Saints (43rd/44th and Honore/Wolcott) and the Unicorns (Davis Square Park and the Settlement (46th and McDowell). I believe the 49th Street railroad tracks was the northern turf boundary back then for Cornell and one dare not cross it! I heard a gang mamber at Cornell Park was killed during one clash.

I don't remember the details of the killing, but I do remember that it happened. I am pretty sure that it was a guy from St. Basils that did the killing and it may have had somethng to do with another murder. I just sent an email to another survivor of those times and I will hopefully hear back shortly. I somenow remember that the guy that was killed was a soldier on leave.

[b]I hung with them in the mid 50's. They got a lot of publicity in the news papers but much of it was exaggerated. Thier pastime was going around hangouts in other niehborhoods and attacking other gangs. Some went to jail and some like myself just grew up . Most of the guys grew up and turned up ok. one of the guys years later owned a tavern at 50th & Oakley and many of the old gang began to hang out there again.[/b]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/26/2012 12:44AM by Richard Stachowski.

Rich, do you recall the name of the bar?

I remember that they became a ittle bit inept in later years. When I was about 16, 1956, I lived around 55th and Damen. A buddy and I walked to the Tastee Freeze or Dairy Queen at about 53rd and Damen for ice cream on evening. On the way back we were accosted by 2 guys who said they were Rebels and demanded our money. They were about our age, and we kind of laughed at them and stated to continue walking. They followed us and one of them tried to grab my friend. I knocked the other one down, while my friend was knocking his assailant down. We walked away and they decided not to push things further. Maybe by then they were kind of a ghost of what they had been.

It was my understading that these gangs were mostly the outgrowth of baseballl or softball teams. They clearly were nothing like the gangs that Chicago has today. I'm pretty sure that the members of thegangs of those old days generally came from stable, homes both financially and domestically.

[b][/b][b]The bar was on the southwest corner of 50th & Oakley. Roger Casper and his wife Stella owned and operated it. They and thier families left and moved to the suburbs. The bar has been closed for some time.[/b]coops4 Wrote:
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> Rich, do you recall the name of the bar? Yes The R & S hideway.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/21/2015 09:47PM by Richard Stachowski.

[b][b]From what I know a group of guys hung around St Micheals at 48th & Damen and this started the Rebel gang. They then began to hang around cornell park at night and others from the area began to hang out with them. I lived across from the park on 50th and Wolcott and was aware of all that went on. I found it better to hang with them then not.[/b][/b]jak378 Wrote:
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> I am wondering if any of you "Back of the Yarders"
> remember a kind of street gang from the 50's
> called the Rebels. They were primarily from the
> area of Cornell Square. They had competition in a
> gang that started out as a softbal team, called
> the Outlaws from around Garfied Blvd. The Outlaws
> were kind of short lived.

Richard, a friend of mine married his (Roger) daughter. They are now living up near the Chain of Lakes. I remember that bar as we played basketball across the street on the cement courts.

[b]I still see Roger's grandaughter and his wife Stella[ from time to time at Petco when we get our dog trimmed. They are living in Oak Lawn now. Most of the guys now have passed on./b]coops4 Wrote:
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> Richard, a friend of mine married his (Roger)
> daughter. They are now living up near the Chain of
> Lakes. I remember that bar as we played basketball
> across the street on the cement courts.

[b]What guys did you know from the rebels?[/b]

I think the final nail in the coffin for the Rebels as a street gang, was the incident where a group of them beat up 2 Chicago cops at the Gage Park Bowl. That really brought down the heat on them.

[b]I didn't know about beating up a cop. I stopped hanging with them in about 1955 an started dating a girl that I marriedin 1957. I was sitting with my girlfriend on the 50th side of the park at night when shots rang out killind one and injuing another. I think this happened after they attacked a pool hall hang out at Halsted and Taylor an Italian nieghborhood. That was a big mistake. [/b]

when I was a kid . 1969 we lived at 67th, and Hermitage the 69th. St. loafers were the big guys of the neighborhood.They would play fast pitch baseball ,in St. Marys of Mt. Carmels parking lot. Do you remember the batters boxes painted on the brick wall of the church ? They would send us to the little store across from the rectory,usually for a 16 oz. bottle of pop, and let us keep the change. I believe th store was called Louie Capps.

The Loafers still have reunions every so often. I know there have been get togathers at a couple of SW suburban restaurants.Most of the guys are 60 and up.

I hung around Rogers bar in the late 70's & 1980's. Roger was a member of the Rebels and his bar was called the R & S Hideaway. It was across the street from the Town of Lake little league field. Some of the old Rebels & Muskadoodlers use to hang at the bar.

[b]Roger is now living in Florida and his wife is here in Oak Lawn. I hung out there in the 70's also and at cornell park.[/b]

Yeah I heard Roger moved to Florida and Stella moved to Oaklawn with here son Roger. I use to live about five house's down the block.

[b]What's you name? Do I know you.[/b]

My name is Joe, We might know each other by sight because I spent a lot of time in Rogers back then. I use to drink a lot with Ron & Kathy & Jim & Sue & Elmer & all the other regulars. I use to help clean up the Little League Field & my son played on a team there. Did you know Peewee? He was a regular fixture there.

[b]I remember parents of the little leagers would come in after the game. I don't rememberthose names at this time but I did spend a lot of noghts there in the 70's so we must have seen each other for sure.Roger's younger brother had an older girlfriend that owned the Syrena Resturant on 47th & Honore. I remember a girl called Brooklyn that lived just east on the same block.A few of my harmonica playing friends also stoped in from time to time. my memory is not as good as it used to be but meby those names will come back to me. [/b]

I do remember Rogers brother Ronnie dating that girl. I remember she was heavyset and her name was Jan.

[b]I remember Jan and Ronnie. Also Marvin Casper Rog's older brother. Thanks for reminding me.[/b]

Richard I was wondering if you knew the Topolski's ?

Robert Topolski was shot to death in Cornell Park in Oct of 1971. My Mom worked in the hospital where he was taken. I knew the younger brother of the guy who was charged.

Robert Topolski was a member of the Cornell Dukes. His nickname was Tilt. I worked with his Mom at the Lion Match Company back in the 60's. Two of my friends married Tilt's two sisters Beverly & Shirley. I stood up at Shirley's Wedding along side my friend Steve & Tilts brother Jerry. Jerry was killed a few years later in a bar on 48th st. He was stabbed to death over a pool game.

[b]The name is familiar so I'm not sure. I lived on 50th & Wolcott from 1944 til 1957 when I got married. Got devorced in 1967 hung aroung rog's tavern from then till about 1975.[/b]mogee Wrote:
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> Richard I was wondering if you knew the Topolski's
> ?

Mogee,

You asked if anyone knew Peewee. Under the forum Rebels I stated I knew Peewee when we were growing up at Oakley Playground, however, I gave you the background on Stubbie and not Peewee. Stubbie was another one of our friends growing up. Peewee, like Stubbie was a good ball player, hung around with my older brother Roger. Peewee lived on the corner across from the playground. His mom, Rose, was always nice to kids in the neighborhood. We hung out on their front porch. He would pitch tents in his backyard. A very nice guy and family

Rich, You said that you lived on Wollcot across from Cornell. Did you know Binky and Francewa ( had a partial arm ) lived on Wollcot across from the park and Dave Malek who lived on 49th across from the park.