Hidden loaded gun from the Al Capone era discovered at Illinois distillery: ‘Glad we located it’

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In an unexpected find, an owner of a distillery in Illinois stumbled upon a gun from the era of Al Capone, and remarkably, it was still loaded with ammunition from back in the day. The gun, a Colt 1908, dates back to 1921 and was discovered at the Thornton Distilling Company, which is considered the oldest brewery still operating in Illinois.

Historical records suggest that, during Prohibition, this establishment was linked to the notorious Capone and Torrio families as well as the Chicago Outfit. It’s been around since 1857.

Andrew Howell, the founder of Thornton Distilling Company, explained to Fox News Digital that he found the pistol tucked away in an underground limestone well. “It was sealed inside what looked like the vent of an abandoned drum stove,” he mentioned.

As he was inspecting a passageway for potential renovations, Howell noticed some loose mortar. “When we pulled back the two big pieces, that’s when we discovered the gun. It seems the mortar had sealed around it long before it began to crumble, but we’re not exactly sure when,” he added.

While checking the gun, Howell noted it came with a holster and a loaded magazine. Officers from the Thornton Police Department looked into the serial number and found no criminal links to it, confirming its age appeared to coincide with the 1920s.

“At first, we weren’t certain how old it was and wanted to be sure it wasn’t listed as missing,” Howell explained, still processing the find. He expressed a mix of excitement and worry about the discovery. “We often have tour groups visiting, so I felt relieved that we found it before our guests did.”

He humorously pointed out, “Those vents are pretty uncomfortable, so I suppose we were lucky visitors didn’t decide to poke around in there.”

Howell mentioned that this wasn’t the first unique item uncovered at the brewery. “We’ve previously found interesting artifacts, like beer order postcards from the mid-1800s. We display these, along with a full bottle of beer we found, and even a pre-Prohibition sign buried outside,” he shared.