Gun from 1924 found at Thornton Distilling Company could be linked to Al Capone
History is found in many places, including a distillery in the south suburbs.
Andrew Howell has decorated the walls of Thornton Distilling Company with history, from an old glass panel advertising beer that's no longer brewed, to bottles no one has opened.
That history dates back to the days before Prohibition an the reign of notorious Chicago gangster Al Capone.
"There were several raids here on the property. We know the Chicago Outfit operated from the space. This was what we believe is the largest bootlegging facility in Chicagoland," Howell said.
Howell figured he'd uncovered it all, until he came across a hole in the wall deep down below the distillery in an artesian well. He believes it was once an potbelly stove vent.
He was looking for a spot to run electrical wiring and dug his arm inside, and instead found a Colt 1903 pistol from 1924, which may be tied to Capone's Outfit.
"So, I ran upstairs and grabbed Ari [Klafter], our head distiller," Howell recalled.
"He looked a little bit unnerved and said, 'just found a gun down in the well,'" Klafter said.
They called the police after realizing the gun was loaded. That's who told them how old the gun and ammunition inside was.
The pistol is now on full display at the distiller, where they are still trying to discover what other history may still be hiding.