The Black Orchid was an upscale Chicago nightclub that flourished in the mid to late 1950s where, according to print media critics, Johnny Mathis got his first big break.
Before co-owning The Black Orchid, Patsy Fontecchio had been a nightclub MC, originally in his hometown of Hurley, Wisconsin.
[2] An Associated Press article reported that three waiters — Gorge Ellis, Henry Mallick (1909–2003), and Mario Bastiani (né Salvadore Mario Bastiani; 1917–1988) — triggered the proceedings by petitioning the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Illinois to declare the club bankrupt.
[7] A month before the bankruptcy proceedings, Billboard published that Ruffles and his wife were giving up the night club business to live in Los Angeles.
[9] Benny Dunn (1913–1989), "King of Rush Street," a former comic, operated the Black Orchid while Greenfield was the owner.