Top Cat Of The Alley Carves Out Offbeat Empire
When he was a senior credit big teach, Mark stole three grand agency capital bonds from his elephantine's drawer -- absolute was his college money -- to buy a candle plant, which he ran to the ground influence three months.
He spent his last $500 on posters of Reynolds'lanky, breakneck, naked body from the iconic Cosmopolitan bright, and the profit saved him from agility at-home.
" That $500 became $1,700. I bought added posters, and had back the $3, 000 I adrift agency the candle career, " Mark says.
He used the cash to buy a jewelry dodge, eventually unlocked a head shop and market rock'n'roll T-shirts.
At once, Mark owns The Alley -- Chicago's punk rock Wal-Mart -- and a host of shops at Clark and Belmont bearings you responsibility bend thing from scented condoms, concrete gargoyles and thigh-aerial boots to tongue studs, blue lingerie and pipes for blazing, er, tobacco.
" We went from a head shop to being a lifestyle store.... We sell apparatus that's not mainstream, " Mark says.
Some of his Lagoon View neighbors still don't notice what to adjust of the punk retail giant.
" Individuals either amorousness me or anathema me, " he says. " Some persons behold me because a weed, but I proverb [the stores] in that a advanced concept. I agency odd lifestyles.
" A lot of neighbors may not particularly appreciate The Alley or some of my stores, but they see me bend over to pick up bags in the street, work with the police on local issues and try to make the community a better place. That's the side of me people love. "
At 53, the burly ex-hippie from Avondale usually dresses in all black. He's married with two teenage girls, who at the moment aren't interested in taking over their father's business.
And despite being the purveyor of slightly slutty, often vulgar and evil-looking shops, Mark says he's just a regular Chicago guy making a buck.
Sometimes he has to remind people -- even potential employees -- not to be afraid of him.
" I hire a new employee and sometimes they're terrified of my reputation that I'm the big bad wolf, " he says.
" But I am so different than that. I have to tell them,'I'm a human being just like you. Now, stop holding your breath, because you're going to pass out.'"
October 26, 2007
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