LAKEVIEW — The Prince of Darkness has been dethroned, but Barbara Cozzi is hopeful that if she speaks of her devil, he might reappear.
For the past four years, Cozzi and her family have hung a 10-foot devil decoration in the driveway of their East Lakeview home for Halloween. Usually, it's up for a couple weeks so Cozzi's grandchildren can enjoy it during their pumpkin carving party.
This year, they even upped the spookiness with a red spotlight, giving the looming Lucifer an extra ghoulish glow.
But devils in human form struck on Halloween night, stealing the decoration between 1 and 5 a.m. in the 600 block of West Sheridan Road, Cozzi told DNAinfo.
"As you can tell, it is hung quite high ... we needed ladders to hang it," Cozzi said. "I can't imagine how they did it — at least two people would have been needed to carry it away."
Cozzi said she filed a police report, but she has little hope of officers tracking down the decoration.
"Whoever took it, I can't even imagine where they're going to put it. In their living room? Bedroom?" Cozzi said.
The Beelzebub behemoth has been a "neighborhood celebrity" over the years, with locals returning multiple times to snag selfies with Satan. Once, a couple from London and South Africa took photos to show their friends back home how Americans celebrate Halloween, Cozzi said.
"Several people have already expressed their disappointment, thinking I took it down too early [and] not knowing it was stolen," Cozzi said. "The devil brought smiles and initiated conversation with neighbors who might otherwise never have stopped to chat."
Cozzi's son bought the decoration from the Party City off Fullerton Avenue in Bucktown. Since her son owns the building next door, they've been able to hang the devil between the two houses above her driveway, Cozzi said.
Cozzi hopes the thief will return her beloved Satan so he can continue spooking neighbors next year. Otherwise, she said they will "for sure" try to find a replacement in time for next year.
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