Alcatrazz
Title
Alcatrazz
Subject
A popular teen juice bar in the 1990s.
112 N. Green St.
Description
Alcatrazz featured DJs Luis Segura, Diamond Boy Dito, Philip Delamora, and Mr. Wonderful. The club also hosted reunion parties for Medusa's and The Reactor that featured DJs like Rush, Armando, and Pharris Thomas. Like other teen juice bars that came before it, Alcatrazz was negatively effected by the introduction of a city ordinance requiring juice bars to obtain special use permits. Ald. Ted Mazola of the 1st Ward introduced the ordinance as a response to continued noise complaints. "[J[uice bars, like waste-transfer facilities, group homes and other institutions categorized as special uses, [were] required to provide parking for 10 percent of their customers and to be approved by the Zoning Board of Appeals." Notably, the ordinance had the support of other alderman in wards where juice bars like Power Plant and Medusa's were encroached on by residential developers.
Creator
Meida McNeal
Felicia Holman
Source
Eskin, Leah. “City Putting Squeeze on Teen Juice Bars.” Chicago Tribune. November 4, 1991, C edition.
Segura, Luis. “Luis Segura: Rewind.” Rewind. Accessed July 27, 2020. https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/luissegura/episodes/2017-10-05T11_03_57-07_00.
Date
1990/1995
Contributor
Micah Salkind
Relation
The Reactor
Medusa's
Type
House
Hip Hop
Punk
Identifier
Alcatrazz
Coverage
Social Culture
Location
Juice Bars
Clubs & Discotheques
Files
Citation
Meida McNeal and Felicia Holman, “Alcatrazz,” Chicago Black Social Culture Map, accessed November 8, 2025, https://cbscmap.omeka.net/items/show/2.