Wonder Bar Haunted?
A man named Eddie Touhy opened Eddie's Wonder Bar in 1930. The money was fronted by Eddie's
brother, Roger "the Terrible" Touhy, who was in a fight with Al Capone for control of the
illegal booze trade in the Midwest. The Wonder Bar was built with turreted booths in which
no one's back was to the front door -- a good configuration for those fighting with Capone.
It was originally opened as ``Eddie's Wonder Bar'' in 1930 by Chicagoan Eddie Touhy with money
from his brother, Roger ``The Terrible,'' supposedly acompetitor of Al Capone. The bar served
as a beer distribution center for muchof Wisconsin during Prohibition.
The Roadhouse, which is built like a fortress, served as a ``safehouse''for gangsters traveling
through Madison.
In the 1930's there was an Irish family from Chicago's Northwest side; Roger "The Terrible"
Tuohey, arch foe of Al Capone, his brother Eddie and two sisters. Capone was too powerful for
Tuohey so Tuohey opened up roadhouses away from Chicago to distribute his beer. One of these
roadhouses was The Wonder Bar. This was the distribution center to supply illegal alcohol for
most of Wisconsin. The Wonder Bar became a safe-house for gangsters traveling in and out of the
area. A secret tunnel was put in underground for a fast getaway if needed. The building was
built bullet-proof with hidden compartments. Purportedly, there is a body buried behind the
fireplace in the second floor banquet room. One story claims these are the bones of one of the
Touhey brothers killed in a shootout. Another makes them to be that of someone who crossed the
Touhey brothers in a business deal. Eddie Tuohey ran the bar while Roger owned and funded it.
It was named The Wonder Bar until 1993 when it changed to The Bar Next Door. It's also
Madison's first cigar bar.
