by Rick Kogan
Softcover, 115pp, 2006
In the summer of 1934, a baby goat fell off a truck, limped into a tavern owned by Greek immigrant William Sianis, and a Chicago icon was born. The Billy Goat Inn became a haven for newspaper reporters, policemen, politicians, and anyone else drawn to the hospitality and showmanship of hardworking "Billy Goat" Sianis and his often antic, uniquely comforting establishment. But did Billy jinks the Cubs? When he and one of his goats were barred from entering Wrigley Field during the 1945 World Series, the Cubs' eventual loss to Detroit fueled a legend as enduring as their fans' "Wait 'til next year" mantra. Today there are eight Billy Goat Taverns, including one in Washington, D.C., and Billy's nephew, Sam Sianis-a celebrity in his own right-oversees what U.S. Senator Dick Durbin called "a national institution."
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