“The longtime owner of the Green Mill, a jazz club on Chicago’s North Side known for booking famous musicians, Hollywood cameos and Prohibition-era ties to gangster Al Capone, is looking to sell the Uptown property that includes the historic club.
“It is billed as the chance to own a property with established tenants within Uptown’s entertainment district, which includes several other historic theaters and music venues such as the Aragon Ballroom and the Riviera. The Green Mill property is adjacent to the long-shuttered Uptown Theatre.
“The listing for Green Mill Gardens, as the property is still sometimes called, also offers the chance to own a piece of Chicago entertainment history. Musicians who have performed at the Green Mill include Billie Holiday, Al Jolson, Eddie Cantor, Bix Beiderbecke, Benny Goodman, Branford Marsalis and Harry Connick Jr.
“Regular, long-ago guests at the Green Mill included Capone, Frank Sinatra and early film stars such as Charlie Chaplin. Capone, according to local lore, had a favorite booth close to a trap door leading to a series of tunnels beneath the club, allowing for quick escapes. The booth was preferred because it was said to have clear sightlines of the front and back entrances.
“But the layout of the bar differs today after being redesigned following an extensive fire in 1933, when Capone was in prison for tax evasion, according to Chicago writer Robert Loerzel.
“The Green Mill also has appeared in several movies, including “High Fidelity,’ ‘Prelude to a Kiss,’ ‘Thief,’ ‘Family Thing’ and ‘Ocean’s Twelve.’
“The seller of the property is Dave Jemilo, who has owned the jazz venue since 1986. He bought the early-1900s building for $5 million in December 2021, according to Cook County property records and CoStar data.
“‘It was dirty, filthy,’ Jemilo told the Chicago Tribune in 2016. “’The bathrooms were just a mess. Everything was torn apart. So I come in here and I think: Holy crap, is this place beautiful!'” (Ori, CoStar News, 6/5/25)
- Bix, Billie, Benny and Branford all performed at this famed Chicago jazz club for sale; Green Mill is also known for movie cameos and Prohibition-era ties to gangster Al Capone, Ryan Ori, CoStar News, 6/5/25
- The Green Mill Is For Sale — But Will Likely Remain Unchanged; The owner of the iconic, historic jazz club is selling the Uptown building it calls home, Madison Savedra, Block Club Chicago, 6/5/25
- Green Mill building up for sale in Uptown, It’s not clear yet what may happen to the iconic jazz club that was once Al Capone’s Prohibition-era hangout, David Struett, Chicago Sun-Times, 6/5/25
- Green Mill Gardens Building Looking for a New Owner, Uptown Update, 6/4/25
- Wait, is the Green Mill jazz club being sold? Here’s what’s going on with the iconic venue; The historic Uptown building that houses the legendary club is on the market, Laura Ratliff, Time Out Chicago, 6/9/25
- Piecing Together the Green Mill Puzzle, Robert Loerzel, 3/4/24
- Green Mill, 4800-4810 N Broadway Street Listing, LoopNet