With Halloween around the corner, we’re definitely seeing our fair share of ghosts, ghouls and other creepy things. (Shout out to the clown house on Deep Lake Rd.) But, let’s be honest, these are just decorations in our neighborhoods. No big deal, right? Right…except for our potential otherworldly spirit in the old Rocky’s Pizzeria in Lindenhurst. Ever wonder why nothing ever lasts in that building? My dog will tell you it’s because there’s some bad juju there.

It turns out that back in 2006, when the building housed Burger King, a manager was murdered there in a robbery gone wrong. In 2013, the man was found guilty and sentenced to life in jail. The Burger King closed after the murder, and the building stood vacant until 2014 when it was reopened as Rocky’s Pizzeria. Sadly, Rocky’s only lasted a year at that location.

Why?

Some people claim Rocky’s closing had to do with rent increases…but others say it’s because the grounds are tainted.

Tainted, you ask? In 2001, before the Burger King incident, the Eagle Country Market (now Butera) was involved in a shootout where a man who had been evading arrest was shot and killed after opening fire at police.

So, yes, tainted seems like a good description. Something isn’t right on that property and it could be the fact that two people died there. 

The other day, my car was stopped at the light on Grand and Munn. My dog, a Black Lab puppy, was in the passenger seat when suddenly she came to attention. She plastered her face to the passenger side window and growled ominously and continuously with all the fur on her back raised. She was looking at the building – but there was no one/nothing there. She didn’t settle down until the light turned green and we drove away from that intersection. That left me with a funny (read scared) feeling and started me thinking. Could there be a ghost or two there? What should be done with that vacant building?

On community forums, many residents say that they would like to see a coffee shop of some kind (either local or chain) at that corner. I’m on board with that…but whatever happens, I hope someone considers razing that building and purifying the ground. My dog agrees.