Diane Mack and her husband purchased a larger home in Bridgeport last summer for their family, which includes their two children.
The building located at 2878 S. Throop St. had previously served as a funeral home and featured a long hall on its first floor.
Mack, who resides on the second floor with her family, envisioned an alternative use for the space on the first floor and decided to launch ‘RIP Events and Entertainment.’
She began advertising the venue online, successfully booking events such as birthday parties and baby showers, and was initially thrilled with the venture’s popularity.
However, trouble arose last month when complaints from neighbors escalated following a prom send-off that blocked the street for a photo-op in front of a rented Ferrari.
The following weekend, city inspectors and police arrived to shut down a movie-and-dinner event, presenting cease-and-desist orders.
According to Elisa Sledzinska, a spokesperson for the Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP), the investigation revealed the establishment was operating without the necessary city licenses.
Mack contended that the closure felt racially motivated, leading her to express her frustrations through a rewritten version of “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air” theme song.
She displayed neon posters with her lyrics taped to her front door alongside the city’s bright orange closure notice.
“Now this is a story all ’bout how this space was closed. … I’ll tell you how to have a business in a racist Bridgeport,” Mack wrote, capturing her sentiments regarding the racial dynamics she perceives in the neighborhood.
Mack acknowledged that she did not possess city licenses but defended her actions by saying, “I had been doing this for 10 months already and it had been fine.”
She believes that her “kind of underground” business was in compliance given the building’s previous commercial use as a funeral home.
Having worked as a bartender at a nearby establishment, Mack argued that other venues in the politically connected, historically Irish-Catholic neighborhood have operated without issues for years.
“Most of my guests are Black,” said Mack, who, despite being a white woman, feels the neighborhood has a history of being unwelcoming.
Neighbor Jen Daly expressed no regrets after reporting Mack’s business, stating she was “threatened” by the prom party attendees who blocked her street.
Daly mentioned before the Ferrari incident, she had no issues with Mack hosting events.
“She’s trying to make it a race thing. But it has nothing to do with that,” Daly insisted.
Daly maintained that if Mack could not manage her parties effectively, she should not hold them at all.
Additionally, Daly cited complaints from fellow neighbors about partygoers occupying designated permit parking spots.
Mack’s husband, Andrew Mack, commented that while the street was briefly blocked, multiple efforts had been made to allow cars to pass.
“They did block the street, though it was for at most 15 minutes,” Andrew stated through email.
Mack shared that in the weeks following the closure, she felt inspired to draft verses for her Fresh Prince remake, serving as a personal outlet during her busy days managing family responsibilities.
The remix has become a talking point within the neighborhood, catching the attention of local residents.
“We have the Ring camera … it’s fun to watch people’s reaction to it and everything,” Mack remarked.
She noted that many friends have reached out, offering support and encouraging her efforts to advocate for a safe space for community gatherings.
Mack intends to meet with Ald. Nicole Lee (11th) to discuss her plans for registering her business officially.
Ald. Lee confirmed her office received numerous complaints regarding unlicensed parties and rentals occurring at the South Throop Street building.
“We take quality-of-life concerns seriously and will keep working to hold property owners accountable,” Lee stated, while also expressing willingness to meet with Miss Mack about her rezoning request.
Lee highlighted that community meetings would be an essential part of the zoning change process.
Taylor Rodgers, who aims to launch her Black-owned event business, The Movie Menu, faced similar setbacks after partnering with Mack.
Rodgers had planned to utilize the space to host monthly events featuring food from the films screened; however, her plans were disrupted when the police and inspectors entered the venue on May 10 with force.
“I didn’t expect that from my experience,” she shared, reflecting on the aggressive manner of law enforcement.
Now, she’s involved in refunding attendees for canceled events and anticipates being out of work for the summer while seeking a new venue.
“I guess people who look different from their community, it raised red flags for the neighbors,” said Rodgers.
Following her experience, she affirmed she would not consider Bridgeport for future business opportunities.
image source from：https://blockclubchicago.org/2025/06/06/owner-of-unlicensed-bridgeport-event-venue-shut-down-by-city-fires-back-with-fresh-prince-retort/
