Sam Sianis, longtime owner of Chicago’s iconic Billy Goat Tavern, died peacefully on Friday morning at the age of 91, surrounded by family, according to a statement from the tavern.
Background
Sianis was born on December 12, 1934, in Palaiopyrgos, Greece, and immigrated to the United States in the 1950s. He moved to Chicago in 1960 at the request of his uncle, William "Billy Goat" Sianis. After his uncle's death in 1970, Sam Sianis inherited the tavern and expanded its brand across Chicago.
Legacy
"Cheezborger! Cheezborger!"
The Billy Goat Tavern, located beneath Michigan Avenue, is known as a gathering place for journalists and as a cultural landmark. It was featured in a 1978 Saturday Night Live sketch that popularized the phrase "Cheezborger! Cheezborger!"
William Sianis is credited with creating the "Billy Goat curse" on the Chicago Cubs in 1945. The curse was considered broken after the Cubs won the World Series in 2016.
Sianis was a regular presence at the tavern in his later years, greeting customers and posing for photos.