03/13/2026
A portrait of the late Trudy DeRing hangs above the jukebox at this cash-only Hermosa institution. Also known as “Radiana,” an internationally recognized burlesque star who performed at Madison Square Garden and the Copacabana, DeRing ran Gayety Village (as it was then called) with husband Ben Rynkus as a boîte and burlesque lounge.
The couple founded it in 1928 and stayed aboard till the 1950s, and in 1979, Marine Corps veteran Warren Johnson took over, becoming the Levee’s third and current owner. Johnson keeps a scrapbook of DeRing’s photos and notices behind the brass-rail bar, which snakes through the front room and into the spacious game room in the back (a former bowling alley).
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✍️ Mike Sula ()
📷 Shira Friedman-Parks
🏆 Best of Chicago includes a handpicked list of the people, places, events, and everyday marvels that our editors, writers, and contributors believe deserve your time, your attention, and, yes, your wholehearted devotion. This selection was not determined by audience vote.
