Farewell to the Goat-Man: Remembering Sam Sianis

Midwest Greek News

By Terry Poulos, special to the Hellenic News of America

GOAT-MAN PASSES: Restauranteur and showman extraordinaire Sam Sianis was Windy City media royalty and a national theatrical institution. For three-quarters of a century, the famous Billy Goat Tavern, owned and operated by Sianis for the majority of that time, played host to presidents, politicians, actors, musicians and other celebrities, and has been a favorite watering hole for the city’s elite journalists. In May, Sam passed at age 91.

Nationally syndicated movie critic Richard Roeper told NBC5 Chicago the diner was “part of the right of initiation” for young journalists. It’s a city staple that later evolved into a tourist trap thanks to Second City Chicago theater troop members who dominated the lineup on a fledgling new national TV show. Sam and his diner were the inspiration for an ongoing Saturday Night Live comedy bit on network NBC beginning in 1978, where famous SNL cast member John Belushi uttered the now iconic line “cheezborger cheezborger, no Coke, Pepsi,” mimicking the foreign accent of Sianis, born in the village of Palaiopyrgos, Greece. The Goat is now in the hands of Sam’s son Bill Sianis (the Billy cycle renews). The place is still located directly beneath North Michigan Avenue, in the heart of downtown, where the nondescript diner with its radiant neon signs is situated directly below Chicago Tribune tower, one block away from the site that once housed rival newspaper the Chicago Sun-Times. The joint was where one could often find Trib syndicated columnist Mike Royko holding court during late-night, spirit-fueled political brewhahas. After Royko passed in 1997, Greek American John Kass took over the coveted page 2 column and also frequented The Goat, passing on the tradition. Almost every last inch of The Goat’s walls are plastered with photos of famous journalists and politicos. It’s a shrine that’s a big part of Windy City lore. The Goat was originally owned by Sam’s uncle William “Billy Goat” Sianis, who folklore has it placed a curse on the Chicago Cubs after team officials denied him and his pet goat entry into Wrigley Field for a 1945 World Series game. The curse stipulated the Cubs would never again win the World Series, and it sure felt real for more than 60 futile years until the Cubs mercifully ended the drought in 2016, winning game 7 by one run in extra innings. After William passed in 1970, Sam became head shepherd and with his larger-than-life personality and innate marketing awareness was able to raise its profile to almost mythical status. Sam, longtime married to wife Irene, is survived by two daughters and four sons. One son, the Hon. Tom Sianis, was recently elected by his peers as Chief Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County.

PUBLIC COMPANY GO-TO: By trade, Constantine “Dino” Xykis is an engineer par excellence. He’s also adept at business. His 30-year career led him to become a top executive at a series of publicly traded corporations, the latest being highway sciences firm Power Solutions Intl. (PSIX:NASDAQ) in Wood Dale, IL. After five years with Power, he stepped down as CEO in early May. Prior to that, he was a top executive at Cummins Inc. (CMI:NYSE) in Indiana and Image Sensing Systems, now Autoscope Technologies (AATC:OTC) in Minneapolis.

ARTS/DIVINITY RENAISSANCE MAN: Few individuals combine the arts and religion like JC Aevaliotis. An Emory University arts major and Yale University divinity school grad, Aevaliotis has been steadily on the rise. In May, he was appointed to the board of directors of Illinois Humanities. He’s currently interim executive director at Arts Work Fund and has wide-ranging experience in grant writing for Polk Bros. Foundation and Dreihaus Foundation.

US TRADE APPOINTMENT: The office of US Trade Representative recently appointed Chicago native Sam Mulopoulos as chief of staff. Previously, he was senior policy advisor at the US House Ways & Means Committee and deputy staff director at the US Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

REMEMBERING ATHENS 2004: It’s been a couple of years since the 20-year anniversary of the 2004 Summer Olympics but it never gets old. We Greeks know exactly where we were the moment the cauldron was lit. I happened across an online post by Saint Louis-based Euripides Kastaris, arguably the finest painter of Hellenic heritage globally. He was among a select group of official poster artists commissioned for the 2004 Games. Kyklos is the documentary. Enjoy!

MEDIA: Veteran sportscaster Lou Canellis, now lead sports anchor at NBC5 Chicago, was honored to deliver the commencement address at his alma mater Loyola University Chicago…In May, Chicago Tribune reporter Angie Leventis Lourgos got the scoop and byline for the feature story headlined “Pope Leo anniversary: Championing migrants and taking on Trump”…National Political Reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times is Tina Sfondeles…Illinois Playbook columnist for Politico is Shia Kapos…Now in his fourth year at Politico is cybersecurity and intelligence reporter John Sakellariadis. Based in Washington, DC, he also once worked in Athens, Greece as a Fulbright scholar…NBC Chicago reporters Lexi Sutter and Alex Maragos are slated to emcee the June 20 PanHellenic Scholarship Foundation awards ceremony at the Hilton Towers.

THEATER IN THE (G)ROUND: Boston-based photographer Matt Lambros chronicles the “afterlives and second acts of abandoned movie palaces,” the dilapidated shells of once brilliant glory. He published three books. In June, Atlas Obscura featured his work, including portraits of Madison Theater in Peoria, IL, the Majestic in East Saint Louis, IL, the National in Detroit, and the Orpheum in St. Louis.

CALENDAR: June 13 AHEPA Chapter 120 golf outing at Byron Hills, IL…June 13 AHEPA Chapter 93 James Drousias Memorial Golf Outing at Hickory Hills, IL…AHEPA June 26-28 regional convention Districts 10-14 in Rosemont, IL…AHEPA Chapter 43 golf outing at Ironwood in Sussex, WI…Chicago Taste of Greektown fest on Halsted Street August 28-30…National Hellenic Museum September 26 gala at Hilton Towers Chicago.

Terry Poulos is a writer and publisher of TheSportsIndex.com who also chronicles Greek America. He’s co-founder of Chicago’s Greek Media Club and a member of the AHEPA Athletics Hall of Fame selection committee