If you haven't seen it, the "outdoor patio" in front of Gigio's is gone.
The structure was illegal under the City's ordinances and got significantly worse when the owners blocked all ability to view behind the structure. The tarps were eventually removed when neighbors complained, but the area in and around the structure became a center of drug sales and illicit activity in the neighborhood.
All of this was reported to Gigio's ownership and clearly obvious to anyone with eyes, but they seemed not to care. Drug dealing was good for business, it appeared.
But its gone now. Good riddance.
From reader emails, we are aware numerous complaints were made to 311 and to BACP, but this has persisted for over two years. Things move slowly in the City, and we are told the City, with support from the Chicago Police, finally had enough and ordered the patio removed.
Gigio's has been around a long time, but history in the neighborhood doesn't earn them a free pass for bad behavior.
If you see drug activity continuing in front of Gigio's or in the parking lot across the street, call 911 and report it. Also call 311, and feel free to email us (link on the right) if you want to share with us as well.
And make sure to support the businesses around Gigio's (Tiffany's, In On Thai and Sky's Beverage Depot). All three businesses have suffered mightily while Gigio's ownership has pretended not to see what was right in front of their face.
UPDATE 10/25
We are aware that one of the owners of Gigio's has posted a response to this piece. While we were told this structure was removed at City request, we will not quarrel with the owner's statement that it was her decision. If it was her decision, credit where it's due.
Of the many questions that remain, question one is why this wasn't done much earlier. Our first piece (linked above) was published 22 months ago.
This has been a known problem and was addressed at multiple CAPS meetings and local safety meetings. Our sources tell us that despite repeated invitations, Gigio's attended one (1) CAPS and Wilson Corridor meeting in the last three years, and none of the concerns raised in the response were brought up then.
Question two: we have received multiple eyewitness reports that the (male) co-owner has been observed conversing, laughing, eating and drinking with the drug dealers. Do they deny these reports are true?
Question three: sources tell us that the owners are renting the apartment above Gigio's to a multiple time felon and known drug dealer. Sources also say that person frequently does deals that start on the street and end in the alley behind Gigio's. Giving Anna, as the landlord, the benefit of the doubt, does she or Gigio's intend to change that?
We await a response and will publish it once it appears.
Realistically there’s only so much the owners can do. I know personally they have asked them to not hangout in front and they would move infront of Tiffany’s on broadway or in on Thai and then come right back. Cops were called numerous times as well and never really showed up. So it’s not that the owners don’t care but there’s only so much the owners could do without fearing for their safety as well as their employees. Drug deals happen everywhere so to blame a business or say they were ok with it when they’ve called the cops several times for the bs in-front is wrong. Y’all always so quick to criticize without knowing facts.
ReplyDeleteRight - but then why not take down the plastic & fencing blocking the view? Remove the magnet to lessen the problem.
DeleteExactly.
DeletePlastic was taken down a long time ago smh lol
DeleteI never saw pizza customers using this facility. There must be accountability.
DeleteIf the owners really cared about their safety or their business or neighboring businesses, they would have taken down this structure a long time ago. First off - such a structure is not permitted by code and was illegally put up. Also - I have seen the male owner hanging out with some questionable characters outside myself many times.
DeleteThe "outdoor patio" was more often used as extra storage for the business...
DeleteWhen I was in office, we held numerous meetings with CPD and the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office about drug dealing at this business. This problem has persisted for years. Police expressed frustration that people arrested for dealing drugs would return to the same location later that day and resume selling. The other businesses in the area also expressed frustration. I would occasionally walk inside this business and point out all the drug dealers who were dealing right outside their entrance.
ReplyDeleteOn one occasion, a dealer became upset because I kept calling 911 to report his activity. He approached a police officer and asked what the officer could do to stop me from calling. Visibly frustrated about not being able to do much to stop all the drug dealing there, the officer told him to move to a less busy area where he would be less easily seen.
It is deeply frustrating that this problem has continued for so long, but I'm delighted this has finally happened!
Why were the police's hands tied (and continue to be)? It dumbfounds me that the police didn't stay on top of this and do a harder crackdown leading to arrests?
DeleteWhat you don't know is that the new dealer actually works part time for gigios. The sales are often happening in the back alley
ReplyDeleteAngela Kelly is not effective
ReplyDeleteNot is Angela Clay.
DeleteI'm sad that the purpose of this patio was hijacked by drug dealers/users. I love gigios, been going there since I was little. I still go there, but if removing the patio makes it safer for people to go there, well, maybe down the line, the owners can try again.
ReplyDeleteThe removal of the illegal structures greatly improves the appearance of the neighborhood. What about the repulsive (maybe illegal) structure outside the Eagle bar south of this location.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I think Lucy's Chicken outdoor seating is another eyesore. The fencing is falling apart. It's covered in graffiti and it's not up to code. They never take it down over the winter months and they no longer put planters on the fencing (as required by the city) The Eagle space is at least kept up and probably up to code or the city would never have approved that license.
DeleteAnybody remember up town in the late 60s, early 70s, those were the days.😆
DeleteGigio's needs to be boycotted. Why would anyone support this business who turns their heads to illegal activity that they are aware of?
ReplyDeleteNonsense..boycotting a small neighborhood business will bring you pizza hut….that would be a horror
DeleteBoycott for something beyond their control smh. Call the police if you see drug deals going on instead of trying to boycott a small business that’s been around for decades. I’ve called the cops a few times while I was dinning inside and they never showed.
DeleteDrug dealers will still sell drugs right there or next door or across the street I mean cmon. That neighborhood is one of the biggest drug spots around and has been for over 25 years plus.
ReplyDeletePersonally I liked the one stop shopping of pizza and illegal pharmaceuticals.
ReplyDeleteSigh. I guess I should just give in and go cold turkey on both.
I sell cold Turkey
DeleteWhy do the politicians claim to be so powerless? They should have shut down that outdoor ‘pavillion’ in the first 30 days. They should reclaim the bus shelters commandeered by homeless people. They should remove the tents from the lakefront. I am so sick of excuses most notably when i see my property tax bill.
ReplyDeleteAgreed!
DeleteYou will not be missed by anybody
DeleteOnly thing they care about is lining their pockets and creating and illusion of competence to get reelected
DeleteYeah, I’ll never support this business. It’s been a loser magnet since I’ve moved to the neighborhood, they deserve no business.
ReplyDeleteWhy don’t you feel they deserve no business? Cause the drug dealers that hangout in front that’s beyond their control? Wonder if they hung out in front of your house what you’d do to get them to move. It’s a public sidewalk there’s only so much the business can do.
DeleteI wouldn't build them a structure to hang out in for starters
DeleteI agree with that, but how were they supposed to know that once they built it that way they would hang out. When they first had a basic small patio they didn’t hangout in it. That’s why they removed it. Maybe more police presence may help as well.
DeleteAmen
DeleteSo what are your answers to getting rid of the problems? It cant be for gigios to remove them thats dangerous. Where's the help for law enforcement? Where's the jobs for the gang bangers that was promised so many years ago ?
ReplyDeleteYall talking about drug dealers standing there when the last aldermen said it’s been going on since he’s been in office that’s almost 10 years instead of blaming the guys in front of the store look deeper into what’s going on in gigios i believe it’s bigger than a couple of street corner thugs selling they little nickel bags have the employees are dealing as well
ReplyDeleteThe person that rents upstairs has been in jail for over a year. So let your source no they are incorrect lol
ReplyDeleteNow your going at gigios about tenants? Last I knew the tenant was a drug addict not a dealer. Where is cappleman to help the addicts since he has so many resources ?
ReplyDeleteContact Clay's office. Cappleman hasn't been in office for years. But Clay seems too busy with social media posts for all the neighborhood social activities she attends.
DeleteNo but cappleman is behind these articles and sure has a lot to say in the comments. Thank goodness he isnt still alderman he didnt care about the less fortunate
DeleteI wish he were alderman!
DeleteSo tired of this debate in the neighborhood about care for those less fortunate, the glut of social services in Uptown compared to other wards/neighborhoods, etc. I don't want anyone to get pushed out and agree, there is an affordable housing crisis, but stop stomping on people who would like to see some improvements in the area!
DeleteAbout time! I reported this concern to Clay's office and didn't get much of a response. I am all for supporting long-time neighborhood businesses, when the business owner turns a blind eye, or worse, if rumors are true, contributes to criminal conduct, definitely will not support them in the future.
ReplyDeleteAlso, there's a bigger issue here and we can all point fingers, but at the end of the day we should be trying to discourage drugs and violence in our neighborhood!
ReplyDeleteFirst and foremost, gigio’s has been a staple of the uptown community since forever. If the drug dealing bothers you SO much get out of the neighborhood. Find something better to do with your lives than how people choose to better their lives. So quick to pass judgement now that Uptown is sanitized enough for you to live there once the people you deem undesirable have been pushed out. NIMBY fucks.
ReplyDeleteFirst and foremost drug dealing has been a staple in our community for years. If you don't like drug dealing and all the other baggage it brings like violence, addiction, and homelessness then find something better to do than be concerned about it! You want to improve our community and make it safer? Not in my backyard!
DeleteSorry you'll have to go across the street to get your fix. Try not to OD.
Deleteyes, more crackheads and crime please
DeleteOh, so drug dealing is okay. Give me a break. How about your move to a place where people don't care about their neighborhood
DeleteExpecting people to tolerate drug dealing overlooks the reality that many families with young children in HUD and CHA buildings cannot afford to move when their neighborhoods become unsafe.
Deletewhen i see sketchy dudes loitering there carrying weapons (dude was roaming back and forth swinging a giant piece of metal rebar) while i'm trying to visit the bike shop it becomes a problem for the whole community. you are dead wrong to tell anyone to mind their own business and let the drug dealing continue when public safety becomes a concern.
ReplyDeleteIt swill never cease to amaze me when small businesses are held responsible for conduct they didn’t create and aren’t legally empowered to stop. Drug dealing has been a persistent reality on that stretch of Broadway for decades. It didn’t begin with that pergola; it won’t end now that it’s gone. I’m rewatching The Wire right now, and while I realize the scale is different, the principle remains the same: it doesn’t matter which corners or who’s working them, until and unless you address the underlying issues, Avon and Stringer are gonna make their money.
ReplyDeleteScapegoating Gigio’s does nothing to address the underlying issues, so all your back-slapping, high-fiving and smug, self-congratulatory bloviation is just empty celebration. The retailers will find new real estate and the end-users will find them. They- along with the intermediary suppliers- might feel a pinch for a couple days, but the wholesalers and the importers won’t even notice. Meanwhile, our tax dollars continue disappearing into a bloated pension system for an institution that hasn’t solved the problem in all these decades (and won’t into the future) while our schools run ever-deepening deficits.
If you want to actually solve the problem: to get the dealers off the streets and reduce the harm of use and addiction to a minimum, you need to leave the white, NIMBY, gentrifier solutions to the white, NIMBY suburbs you fled. It’s time to admit that the drug war- which asks us to blame a small pizza place for a problem CPD can’t solve- is an utter failure, and abandoned its strategies. Legalize drugs, take the drug war money away from law enforcement and invest it in food security, public health, public schools and adult education. Usurp organized crime’s most lucrative income source and address the root causes of poverty, and we might actually make positive progress. Otherwise you’re just wasting your time, energy and money on the symptoms while ignoring the illness and slandering small business owners who didn’t cause the problem and can’t solve it.
Exactly. They think gigios suppose to run outside and fight with thr drug addicts and gang bangers is insane. Its not just gigios when they call for support and nothing happened.
Deleteit's not scapegoating if they are actively enabling crime to happen on their premises.
DeleteThey call the police and so do some customers. it doesn’t help the police take over 30 minutes or longer to arrive or sometimes never even show up. I called the police the other night for some guy having a bad trip or something, he was half naked rolling on the floor etc….. I waited 40 minutes the cops or ambulance never showed up.
DeleteYou guys should just let me and my associates, Fingahs & Looie c'mon in there and do a little readjusting to the front of Gigio's. What WE could do for da business there would be like a fresh and cool breeze.
DeleteHow’s the pizza tho?
ReplyDeleteAmazing
Deletemeh
Delete