Greek diaspora legend Sam Sianis, one of Chicago’s most famous tavern owners of all-time, has died at the age of 91.
The restaurant announced that its founder passed away peacefully in his sleep Friday morning surrounded by his loving family.
Sam Sianis’ fascinating American success story and his famous “Curse”
The 1895-born Peloponnesian emigrated to the U.S. in 1912 where he taught himself English by reading newspapers; delivering them was one of his first jobs upon his arrival in Chicago.
Soon, Sianis became a devoted Chicago Cubs baseball fan and bought the Lincoln Tavern across the street from Chicago Stadium, where the Chicago Blackhawks hockey team team played.
According to legend, Sianis repaid the debt for the tavern after a baby goat fell from a truck just outside the building. He decided to adopt the goat as a pet and named him “Murphy.” Sianis became Murphy’s number one fan and somewhat of a goat aficionado, which led him to rename his bar “The Billy Goat Inn.”
It was in 1945, when Sianis decided to bring his cherished pet, clad in a jaunty Cubs jersey, to the World Series game at Wrigley Field where the Cubs were playing, that brought him everlasting fame.
As security staff stopped Sianis from taking his “smelly goat” into the stadium, the Greek angrily declared before all who were within hearing distance that “The Cubs ain’t gonna win no more! The Cubs will never win a World Series so long as the goat is not allowed on Wrigley Field.”
The Cubs lost that game, which lost them the entire World Series, and they never even made it back to another Series until 71 years later in 2016. Sianis’ words echoed all across America and what became known simply as “The Curse” has gone down in sporting history, becoming a touchstone in the nation’s cultural life.
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
