Owner finds hidden vault in basement of Chicago restaurant

March 28 (UPI) -- The owner of a restaurant in a historic Chicago building said he discovered an underground vault that could potentially contain a mobster's missing money.

Grant DePorter said he was clearing out some unused space in the corner of the basement at Harry Caray's restaurant when he discovered what appeared to be a doorway in the brick wall that was closed up with newer bricks.

"I went to the Chicago History Museum and they got the plans. This was the vault for the building," DePorter told WLS-TV.

DePorter said the building once belonged to mobster Frank "The Enforcer" Nitti and his wife, Annette. Nitti, who took over for Al Capone when the infamous mob boss went to prison, died with several million dollars unaccounted for.

DePorter said he is hoping to find a means of exploring what's behind the wall without tearing it down. He said he is looking into the possibility of using an ultrasound machine before deciding whether to break through the wall.