In 1932, Mary Maguire remembers walking down a side alley and in a rear door to visit her Uncle Joe at his speakeasy. Prohibition was ending and Uncle Joe asked Michael Maguire, Mary’s father, if he wanted to open a restaurant and bar together. Maguire’s Chop House was born in 1933 on W 157th and Broadway.

The location proved to be a home run, located blocks from the Polo Grounds where the New York Giants and later the New York Mets, played. Dizzy & Daffy Dean, two ballplayers would frequent the pub as would many of their teammates and fans. The Seventh Avenue subway line also had a stop on that corner.

Joe and Michael Maguire had a popular pub hosting annual holiday dinners and civic organizations. When Mary was a student at Columbia University she would spend many nights helping out and playing informal host for her father and Uncle. One night John Murtagh walked in, dressed in full military uniform for a meeting of the Tioga Club. It was 1946 and John Murtagh had just been appointed Commissioner of the Department of Investigation by Mayor William O’Dwyer. Despite being 13 years her senior, she had him in her sights from the beginning. A shy man, Mary and John would socialize in groups, until one day he asked her to dinner near Broadway. As they turned a side street, John paused and Mary looked up to see the marquee for the play “John Loves Mary.”

After a short engagement, John and Mary were married at St. Catherine of Genoa on W 152nd street. The young couple had four children and moved up to Inwood, 217th street. Joan, Tom, Maeve and John grew up mostly at the top of Manhattan.

In 2017, Joan’s son Jonathan, and Maeve’s sons Brendan and Kevin, got together to open a neighborhood pub. They named it The Commissioner after the grandfather they never knew. Adorning the walls are political cartoons from artists such as Walt Kelly & Al Hirschfeld, depicting cases the Commissioner of Investigation worked on. Family described John Murtagh as a loving father and fair Commissioner and Judge who treated everyone with respect and dignity. That ethos has filled The Commissioner since day one and has helped the cousins survive and thrive the COVID pandemic through to today.

Jon, Kevin and Brendan, found a location in the Lower East Side perfect for a neighborhood tavern. They partnered with longtime friend and consummate hospitality professional Amanda Scala and opened “Mary’s,” on Orchard Street. They promoted longtime bartender, Patrick Bradley, who developed a unique and accessible cocktail and drink program. Since January 2024, Mary’s has strived to fill that necessary role as the third place for New Yorkers in the Lower East Side. Come to Mary’s for friendly service and delightful food and drink in a beautiful tavern setting.