26 as scheduled. Construction crews worked around the clock to complete the project, and after a last-minute inspection, the mall opened on time to another crowd of over 15,000. In the mall's first months of operation, it received over 50,000 visitors each weekend. Soon, problems began developing with the mall's hurried construction. As early as July 1975, a malfunction in the mall's sprinkler system caused a six-hour shutdown of the mall. Later that year, a small fire in a trash compactor forced an evacuation of the mall. In November, acrobat Jimmy Troy fell to his death from the trapeze during a circus at the mall. Only six months after opening, the mall was on the verge of bankruptcy due to millions of dollars in overruns in construction. Brindle was removed as general manager, and Illinois Central Railroad (an investor in the project) installed Clyde Farman. The outdoor Six Flags Great America (then known as Marriott's Great America) theme park opened in 1976, drawing visitors away from Old Chicago. Unusual stores, boutiques, and a lack of recognizable anchor stores proved to be another of Old Chicago's undoings; the mall was not very successful in attracting local residents week after week because of a lack of stores where they wanted to shop. Late in 1976, as attendance declined, stores in the mall began closing down. Closing Illinois Central took full control of the mall's logistics in early 1977, rescheduling the hours of operation and spending over $8 million adding new attractions. A series of management changes occurred, but the shops continued closing one by one. By 1978, Old Chicago began closing on Mondays and Tuesdays. More fires struck during 1979: The Old Chicago Tobacco Company caught fire when a tobacco dryer malfunctioned. There were no sprinklers in the area where the fire started. A Fourth of July fireworks display also ignited prematurely, causing minor injuries to two people. Director Brian De Palma filmed scenes from his 1978 supernatural thriller film The Fury at Old Chicago. Finally, in March 1980, the entire amusement park shut down and the rides were sold. The last remaining stores left soon afterward, as management pitched the idea of recreating the mall as a discount outlet. The plan didn't attract investors and the mall closed in August 1981. A group of investors purchased the enormous building shortly afterward with plans to convert it into a casino. The village