After several decades of arrest being made in the town of Cicero for illegal gambling, a state law which passed in Illinois last year now allows certain businesses in the town to operate video gaming machines commonly known as “Poker or slot machines,” which pay the winners through an ATM located in the business. Cicero was known for illegal gambling activity throughout the years, including the period during prohibition of the 1920’s, which made an Italian man named Alfonso Capone infamous.
In 2013, the State of Illinois issued its first legal gambling license in the town of Cicero to Diana Sanchez, a Hispanic business-woman. She was born in Chicago and is the daughter of a Hispanic business-woman, who co-owned a very popular bar in the Pilsen neighborhood during the 70’s and early 80’s. In March of 2012, she purchased the business at 4900 W. 31st. Street in Cicero and began to work on converting the once popular “American” bar, formally known as DREAMERS, into a “Hispanic sports bar.” DREAMERS, which was a long standing bar in the neighborhood and its owner’s, watch the surrounding areas rapidly change into a predominately Hispanic community. The bar’s name is now “El Rio Bravo” to reflect the Hispanic community in which it is located and because of the bridge on 31st Street, east of Cicero Avenue that connects the town of Cicero with the city of Chicago. But mostly it was named after one of her favorite movies with her favorite actor, Dean Martin.
For the first year, Diana Sanchez continued to work at UPS while owning the bar. After several bumps, including missing money that an uncle was suspected of taking, she quit her job with UPS in April of 2013 and began to focus on the bar and its business. “I was nervous about quitting UPS after working there for over 13 years, but I was also excited about running my own business. It seems to have worked out because I was able to focus on getting this gaming license. Now people in the community don’t have to drive far to enjoy a little bit of gaming fun”, said Diana Sanchez. Additionally, a percentage of the revenue generated by the video gaming goes to the state of Illinois and the town in which the machines are located in.
