The spirit of an Irish gangster invades NIU next week as Sigma Alpha Epsilon hosts its annual Paddy Murphy celebration.

“Murphy was an Irish gangster in Al Capone’s gang during the Prohibition days,” said Mike Corelli, the fraternity’s special events coordinator. “The reason why we honor him is because he was an SAE. He financially supported fraternities and sororities, but he stole alcohol from Capone. Capone found out, and he killed Murphy.”

SAE members at NIU have honored Murphy since 1995, but other schools’ chapters have celebrated him for more than 50 years, Corelli said.

Many public activities will be held in Murphy’s honor, the biggest being Paddypalooza, a five-act “Battle of the Bands” concert, said SAE philanthropy chairman C.K. Chung said. Scheduled to compete are The Dog and Everything, ATM, Empyream, Sky Zero and Backdrop. The show starts at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Holmes Student Center’s Carl Sandburg Auditorium. Admission is $5 in advance or $8 at the door.

Other Paddy Murphy events begin as early as today, with all money made going to the Children’s Miracle Network, Chung said.

The first fundraiser is at 3 p.m. at Katz Field on Dresser Road.

“Fraternities and sororities will play each other in softball,” Chung said. “We will also play at noon Saturday and Sunday.”

SAE members will perform a skit about Paddy Murphy’s life and legacy at 1 p.m. Monday at the King Memorial Commons. On Monday and Tuesday, the SAEs and various sororities will collect money in milk jugs at the intersections of Annie Glidden Road and Lucinda Avenue and Annie Glidden and Lincoln Highway, Corelli said.

A spaghetti dinner will be sponsored at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at the SAE house, 919 Greenbrier Road. The dinner is open to anyone at a $3 cost.

Penny voting to elect an honorary Murphy “widow” will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday at Cole Hall and the Holmes Student Center, Chung said. A mock funeral precession for Murphy is scheduled at 5 p.m. Thursday and will snake through Greek Row, leading up to the widow contest at 7 p.m. Thursday at the SAE house.

Members of various sororities are involved in the contest.

“The sororities will answer questions about Murphy and then they will give a eulogy in tribute to him,” Corelli said.