But before Freehand Chicago became what it is today, the property was originally dubbed the Devonshire Hotel, which opened in 1927 and quickly became a popular Mafia hangout of the time. The in-house coffee shop served as a meeting point for mobsters, who famously ran their operation up and down Ohio Street. After the era of Chicago’s Mafia and before River North transformed into the city’s cultural hub, the property was known as the Tokyo Hotel, which was better known for its criminal activity rather than hospitality. But with the Sydell Group’s purchase of the hotel in 2013 and the opening of Freehand Chicago in June of 2015, the hotel now stands as a pillar in River North’s vibrant cultural scene, having the highest concentration of art galleries, boutiques, and restaurants of any Chicago neighborhood. Photo 5 of 6 in A Former Chicago Mafia Haunt Reborn as a Hotel

A Former Chicago Mafia Haunt Reborn as a Hotel

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But before Freehand Chicago became what it is today, the property was originally dubbed the Devonshire Hotel, which opened in 1927 and quickly became a popular Mafia hangout of the time. The in-house coffee shop served as a meeting point for mobsters, who famously ran their operation up and down Ohio Street. After the era of Chicago’s Mafia and before River North transformed into the city’s cultural hub, the property was known as the Tokyo Hotel, which was better known for its criminal activity rather than hospitality. But with the Sydell Group’s purchase of the hotel in 2013 and the opening of Freehand Chicago in June of 2015, the hotel now stands as a pillar in River North’s vibrant cultural scene, having the highest concentration of art galleries, boutiques, and restaurants of any Chicago neighborhood.

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Freehand Chicago