Melrose Park, Illinois - Muffler Man

Don Wolff, owner Of Wolffs flea market, wrote to me about the muffler man:

"It is currently lying in a trailer waiting for us to re-open and set it up! ...The story we got with this Paul Bunyan was that it was bought by Sebastian Lorenzo's father (owner of Village lumber in Melrose Park, IL). Supposedly he was driving through Arizona and saw it. I think he said his dad bought it for him when he was born. Originally, when Village was going to close, Sebast's brother was going to bury it in the hole left after the building was torn down. We couldn't see that happening so we took it for our display. Then officially bought it from Sebast when we closed our doors so that we could keep it for our next location. So he is still around - just taking a nap." [Tom Machamer, 09/19/2006]

The muffler man used to be in front of a lumber store. I found the same muffler man inside at the Wolff's Flea Market in Melrose Park. The muffler man might be for sale... There is admission to get into the flea market. [Tom Machamer, 03/19/2004]

The Muffler man that used to be at 5109 W Lake Street in Melrose Park is gone. But, by chance we went to a Flea Market in a once Venture store in Melrose Park at Mannheim Rd. and North Ave. and behold! Muffler Man has been restored and is displayed INSIDE the once Venture store, now called Wolff's Flea Market and it is situated in a warehouse area towards the back thats pretty much empty except for Muffler Man and a few vendors. It costs a buck to go into the Flea Market and only on Saturdays and Sundays 10 to 4. [Ligit Gill, 06/23/2003]

There is a Muffler Man at 5109 W. Lake Street, (suburban Chicago - not far - from the original Sugar Shack nightclub). The head is different (he is a bearded lumberjack) but the size and his hand configuration show he is a real Muffler Man. [Kirby Bartlett-Sloan, 04/20/1997]