The Boss Bar

Alderman Brendan Reilly Slugged Outside Boss Bar in River North | Eater Chicago

"Outside the bar at 420 N. Clark Street, I recount how Ald. Brendan Reilly was attacked around 10:30 p.m. while waiting for a friend: two men knocked him down and began punching and kicking him before a Boss Bar employee pulled them off and they fled. Boss Bar is an infamous late-night haunt since 1987 whose name references Mayor Richard J. Daley’s "Boss" nickname and often evokes memories of River North before it became a slick neighborhood. Though it holds a license to stay open until 4 a.m., pandemic rules require midnight closing and masks when not seated, and public-health experts note bars remain higher-risk settings because alcohol and raised voices make distancing and mask use harder. Owner Shay Ghazimoradi has supported Reilly’s career with donations totaling $24,400, and Reilly’s campaign committee has charged more than $37,000 in expenses at Boss Bar since 2010. Mayor Lightfoot has called for a police and BACP investigation to determine whether Reilly was targeted because of his position." - Naomi Waxman