Author William Hazelgrove Reopens Capone's Vault, Unveiling Reality TV's Birth

CHICAGO, IL, March 20, 2026 – Forty years after a television event that captivated millions, author William Elliott Hazelgrove is set to recreate the dramatic opening of Al Capone's vault at the original Lexington Hotel site in Chicago. On April 21, 2026, Hazelgrove, acclaimed author of Capone's Vault, will stage a live, on-location vault opening, coinciding precisely with the 40th anniversary of Geraldo Rivera's nationally televised broadcast in 1986. While the original event famously revealed an empty vault, Hazelgrove contends its true significance was not in what it contained, but in what it created: modern reality television.

The event promises compelling visual opportunities for media, featuring a meticulously recreated vault installation with a vintage-style safe. Morning media availability is scheduled from 9:00 AM – 11:30 AM, allowing for capturing the dramatic vault opening sequence and conducting interviews with Hazelgrove and invited historical commentators. The official timed reenactment will occur at 7:00 PM CST, exactly 40 years after the original broadcast, offering a unique historical and cultural moment designed for live or recorded segments and in-depth historical commentary.

Hazelgrove's thesis explores how the 1986 broadcast, despite its perceived failure to yield treasure, profoundly impacted television history by demonstrating audiences' willingness to watch live, unfolding, and often unpredictable events. This defining moment, Hazelgrove argues, laid the groundwork for the reality TV genre, proving that the unknown could be compelling entertainment. As the national bestselling author of works like Dead Air: The Night Orson Welles Terrified America, Hazelgrove brings a deep understanding of media history to this significant anniversary, inviting a reevaluation of a pivotal cultural phenomenon.