Dark Chicago    The City    Neighborhoods    New City      Stanley's

“Stan don’t ask where it came from, and you don’t ask where it went. That’s the deal—and if you’re smart, you don’t break it.”

Description - Exterior

Stanley’s sits at the corner of a cracked lot off 43rd and Ashland, tucked between a chain-link fence and a rusted-out train spur. The sign’s been repainted a dozen times, but the ghost letters underneath still spell out “McNulty Bros. Machine Works.” Oil stains stretch into the sidewalk like roots. The front garage door always sticks halfway open, the windows are blacked out with old racing posters, and the only light comes from a hanging bulb that swings even on windless nights.

Description - Interior

Inside, Stanley’s is organized chaos: rows of tools hung in impossible shapes, grease-black engines on chains, and half-stripped chassis parked in perpetual triage. A 1940 DeSoto frame hangs from the rafters like a crucified relic. There's a "customer lounge" made of three busted kitchen chairs and a jukebox that only plays Johnny Mercer. The air smells like fuel, sweat, and secrets.

History

Once a legitimate machine shop, Stanley’s went crooked after Stan took it over in ’47 from his uncle—who died suddenly and left a lot of questions. Since then, it’s been a safe spot for street racers, gang drivers, and anyone needing a car ghosted fast. Stan’s worked with Tommy more than once, and their loyalty runs deep—even if neither of them talks about why. The shop’s technically independent, but Outfit mechanics know not to step on Stan’s toes.

Owned By

Stan “Clutch” Novack, grease monkey, speed demon, and quiet operator in the South Side underground.

Run By

Same. Stan’s the only one allowed behind the register. He doesn’t trust anyone else with the ledgers—or the bolt cutters.

Employees

• Tino Gutierrez – Teen apprentice. Loyal, fast with his hands, and already smarter than most mechanics twice his age.
• Len "Two-Tap" Ferris – Stripped more hot cars than he’s had hot meals. Keeps a revolver in the toolbox “just in case.”
• Maeve Donnelly – Handles the books and cuts through bullshit with a stare. Possibly ex-IRA. Never confirmed.
• “Buttons” Calero – Part runner, part junkyard scavenger. Has a sixth sense for finding parts—legal or not.

Regulars

• Tommy McGregor – Stan’s old friend, comes by to trade stories or drop off something that “needs vanishing.”
• Wheels Davis – Runner for the Bulls, always looking for “an upgrade.”
• Reggie "Redcap" Mills – Boosts cars for BCN, pays cash, talks too much.
• The Widow Kirkland – Shows up every Friday to have her dead husband’s Chevy tuned. The Chevy’s not drivable. She says it talks to her.
• Charlie Mullen – Once caught a scoop here that nearly got him killed. Still shows up with a coffee and a notepad.

Notes

• Stan can strip a stolen car in under 2 hours, repaint it in 4, and have it registered under a new name by morning.
• Rumor says one of the bays has a trapdoor that leads to an old prohibition tunnel system—but only Stan has the key.
• The jukebox never plays the same song twice in a row—even when you try.
• Stan once reassembled a car from five different junkers—without a blueprint—and it purred like new. Some say it never had a license plate.
• One wall of the shop has faded Veil glyphs etched into the brick—maybe protective, maybe a warning.
• Every July 3rd, someone leaves an envelope on Stan’s desk with a name, a car model, and a location. He never says a word about it. The jobs always get done.