By Debra L. Solomon
Cigars and Stripes, the hip lounge and comedy club on old Route 66 in Berwyn, Illinois, has plenty of atmosphere – most of which cannot be easily explained. Customers and paranormal researchers are saying it is a “hot spot” in more ways than one.
“It was more than weird. It was very weird,” said Simone Tervydis of Cicero as she and her friend, Bernice Jan, tried to describe their astonishment when they saw the top of a martini shaker flip upside down and then roll across the bar at Cigars and Stripes. “The top just lifted on its own. We were shocked and jolted. We all looked at one another. It was very weird.”
Chicago-based Supernatural Occurrence Studies (SOS), Inc. investigators have been recording the testimonials and first-hand accounts of unexplainable occurrences and sightings that patrons of the hip, eclectic lounge, and comedy club have been experiencing. SOS Inc. Theorist Dave Black said he “sensed things” as he walked around the basement and first floor of the lounge. “There’s definitely something going on in this building,” he said. “From what I hear of all the testimonials, it has been manifesting itself in various ways. People have been hearing things, seeing things, and things have been moving.”
Black said there are multiple testimonials of glasses falling off shelves, the phone lifting up by itself, bottles falling, and martini shakers just flipping in the air. “All the people are watching this happen,” said Black.
Though he’s somewhat skeptical about the paranormal “happenings,” Cigars and Stripes owner Ronn Vrhel explained that when they first renovated the 80-year-old building five years ago, his wife heard sounds like parties were going on downstairs. When he went downstairs to check, there was nothing there.
Vrhel said that he lost his large bundle of keys not long ago and searched high and low for them. A short time later, he heard a loud sound, and “the keys dropped out of nowhere” in plain view of all the customers seated at the bar.
“The keys slammed off one of the corners and flew down the bar. I grabbed them, and people said, “What was that all about? Where did those keys come from?”
Black said that while researching, he witnessed unique experiences and “very intense” sensations in the basement. His accounts include hearing someone walking down the stairs – when no one was there and hearing noises and activity in the empty basement.
SOS Inc. has been researching the paranormal since 1998. They’ve explored well-known haunts such as Bachelor’s Grove, The House of Blues, and the sites of well-known murders.
“The ultimate goal is to tell a story about what’s happening collectively. We also want to ensure that all information is backed by fact.
Cigars & Stripes in Berwyn, Illinois, courtesy of Google Maps.
“There are many testimonials from bartenders and customers. At least 2 out of every 15 regulars have experienced something,” said Vrhel, who is also researching the building’s history.
At least five customers have seen a shadowy figure walking down the hallway at the rear of the bar. One customer described seeing the shadowy figure “scoot down the hall and around the corner.”
Vrhel invited Spiritual Advisor Lee Murphy to walk through the building to see if her insight validated the ongoing investigations of supernatural activity. After touring the main floor and the basement of Cigars and Stripes, Murphy confirmed the findings of the SOS Inc. group – several spots were charged with energy. Her insight brought to life many stories of the past and many possible explanations of the haunting activity.
Murphy’s insight points to several sources of supernatural activity, including a former customer who fell dead in the business entryway nearly 30 years ago and who may still be walking in to enjoy the social atmosphere.
A presence at the rear of the building is sensed to be an elderly woman who prayed and worried considerably about the well-being of family and friends.
The large hand-crafted bar, brought over from the former Stardust Lounge several blocks down from Cigars and Stripes, may be the source of a true love story in some of the current “playful” events.
Murphy said that the bar’s energies are especially intense in one location, which Vrhel shared was where Rose, the late former owner of the bar, was best remembered to sit. Rose and her husband Joe owned the Stardust Lounge, and he built and hand-crafted the bar especially for her. Murphy said that Rose’s presence is an exceptionally loving one.
As investigative results are gathered and more and more testimonials of unexplainable occurrences and sightings are being documented, the Supernatural Occurrence Studies, Inc. group has agreed that the place is haunted.
“I do believe that this location is haunted,” said SOS Vice-President William Wolfe, who visited it overnight with his group.
The SOS group, founded in 1998, set up equipment in various locations on the first floor and basement, especially in areas with the most paranormal activity. After leaving the location for several hours, the group returned to study the results of the camcorders, infrared cameras, and tapes.
When the group played back the tape recording, definite sounds, and voices could be heard. “We heard knocking sounds, voices, whispering, and conversations. One voice sounded like it was saying ‘No, no, you can’t!’ in a man’s voice. There were some howling or screaming sounds in the background, too. We will do some more audio recording here,” said SOS Theorist/Field Guide Dave Black, who added that extensive analysis will be performed on the EVP (electronic voice phenomenon) tapes.
Sophisticated energy readings showed drastic temperature variations in some locations. “We were getting readings of a 30-degree temperature variance in the area known as the hot spot,” said Wolfe.
“You never know with old buildings, and you suspect explanations such as drafts. They said, ‘Get over here. You have to check this out!’ They were feeling something. I went over there, and it was so intense that my eyes started watering, and I was having difficulty breathing. I had to put my hand on the stool to stay upright. We all felt it,” said Black.
Numerous Cigars and Stripes customers have reported seeing a shadowy figure in the hallway near the rear of the bar. Owner Ronn Vrhel said that most people describe it as an outline of a figure. “People describe it as having no arms or legs – just a shape. They see it go around the corner,” he said.
SOS researchers and customers report hearing footsteps on the stairs when no one is there. Sounds have also been heard in the basement. Wolfe said they heard sounds like beer cans being thrown around the night they researched. “Ronn doesn’t have beer cans in the lounge, only bottles,” he said.
Wolfe also thinks that the location was likely an Al Capone haunt. “Based on the history of the place, with people dying at the bar and the age of the building, it’s a good possibility that Capone visited here or offered his protection to the businesses that were here. It’s a prime location for Capone tactics,” said Wolfe.
With a long list of stories that include four deaths in the building, keys dropping out of nowhere, martini shaker tops flipping and rolling down the bar, phones falling off the hook and then ringing, light switches and spotlights turning on by themselves, and bottles and glasses toppling for no reason, the conclusions are clear that the place is “special.”
Spiritual Advisor Lee Murphy agrees that the place has many stories to tell. She said that, for the most part, the place has a “very colorful” energy. She walked through the basement, upstairs game room, and bar area and told Vrhel some of the stories she “picked up,” including a former owner who prayed and worried about her family and friends. She said it is possible that this former occupant, who passed away on the premises, still occupies the scene and perhaps even cares for the present owners and customers somehow.
Murphy feels that the hand-crafted bar, which came from the former Stardust Lounge several blocks from Cigars and Stripes, has a special energy. Vrhel had always admired the bar, so he brought it to his establishment and carefully set it in place.
Murphy said she feels especially strong impressions from the area where Rose, the former owner, used to sit most often. Vrhel said that the “hot spot” seems to be a favorite place for many customers. Murphy offered an explanation as to why that might be.
Murphy states Rose’s energy is clearly present and may even work in a match-making scenario. “I sensed that Rose’s relationship with her husband was very loving and special. She may be helping others find the same kind of relationship. She seems to have had a very good understanding about such things,” offered Murphy.
Along with being a spot where many like to gather, the “hot spot” was also where two customers met and then married not too long ago, explained Vrhel. “It’s likely to be a great place to meet someone or improve your existing relationship. The energy is very special,” said Murphy as she sat in Rose’s former seat.
Vrhel said he is getting used to the occurrences and feels like something is working on his behalf. “A while back, I talked about getting out of the business. It seems like some of these things started to happen then. I get the definite impression that ‘they’ want me to stay and are looking out for us somehow,” he said.
“In conclusion, yes, this bar is haunted. It probably has more activity than many other places we’ve been to and documented. There are a lot of testimonials – to a degree that I haven’t experienced in most places we have been,” said Black.
Dave “Od” Black first sensed the strange goings-on when he was at the lounge performing his stand-up comedy act. After the show, the comedian/paranormal investigator asked Vrhel if his place was haunted. “Funny you should mention it…” answered Vrhel.
Spiritual Advisor Lee Murphy has assisted police investigations and worked with clients across the U.S. for almost 25 years. She is semi-retired and lives in the Western suburbs.
Added October 2005, updated April 2024.
Contact Information:
Cigars and Stripes
6715 W. Ogden Ave.
Berwyn, Illinois
This article is adapted from Paranormal Experts Investigate the Haunting of Cigars and Stripes, written by Debra L. Solomon and courtesy of the Berwyn/Cicero Gazette in Berwyn, Illinois. Ronn Vrhel, owner of Cigars & Stripes, forwarded it to us.
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Chicago, Illinois – The Route 66 Journey Begins