LAKE VIEW | Punk rock retailer says he's a good neighbor

Top cat of The Alley carves out offbeat empire

Mark Thomas, owner of The Alley, at his store on North Clark Street in Chicago. (John J. Kim/Sun-Times)

When he was a senior in high school, Mark stole three grand in savings bonds from his mother's drawer -- it was his college fund -- to buy a candle factory, which he ran to the ground in three months. He spent his last $500 on posters of Reynolds' lanky, hairy, naked body from the iconic Cosmopolitan centerfold, and the profit saved him from going bust. "That $500 became $1,700. I bought more posters, and had back the $3,000 I lost in the candle business," Mark says. He used the cash to buy a jewelry business, eventually open a head shop and hawk rock 'n' roll T-shirts.

Some of his Lake View neighbors still don't know what to make of the punk retail giant. "People either love me or hate me," he says. "Some people see me as a weed, but I saw [the stores] as a new idea. I support 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.'"

Go Back