In the mid-1960s, prosecutors began claiming the building was a national headquarters for a multimillion-dollar racketeering operation.
On April 20, 1988, the FBI and Chicago police Internal Affairs Division investigators raided the On Leong Merchants Association Building, confiscated gambling paraphernalia from a casino hidden on the building's second floor and seized $350,000 from a vault.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Scully asserted that the Association had collected $6 million in illegal gambling profits between 1966 and 1988.
The building was seized by the US federal government two months later under federal racketeering statutes.
Other than several first-floor shops, the building sat empty for almost five years.
Rooms on the upper floors fell into disrepair, with paint peeling and faded ornamentation in pieces on the floor.

After a unanimous voice vote by a City Council committee, the Commission on Chicago Landmarks designated the On Leong Merchants Association Building as a Chicago Landmark on December 1, 1993, the only such landmark in Chinatown.
It has been described as Chicago’s "most significant symbol of the cultural heritage of the Chinese".
That same year, the Chinese Christian Union Church (CCUC) bought the building from the government for $1.4 million.
The CCUC now uses the newly named Pui Tak Center to host religious, community, and educational programs such as family literacy classes, music programs, computer courses, and youth activities, with English-as-a-Second-Language courses (ESL) being the Center's largest program.
Recent Chinese immigrants can also visit the Center for assistance with everyday needs.
Serving approximately 2,500 new immigrants annually, the Center's annual $1.5 million operating budget is partially funded by state and local government grants and private donations.
In the mid-1960s, prosecutors began claiming the building was a national headquarters for a multimillion-dollar racketeering operation. On April 20, 1988, the FBI and Chicago police Internal Affairs Division investigators raided the On Leong Merchants Association Building, confiscated gambling paraphernalia from a casino hidden on the building's second floor and seized $350,000 from a vault. Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Scully asserted that the Association had collected $6 million in illegal gambling profits between 1966 and 1988. The building was seized by the US federal government two months later under federal racketeering statutes. Other than several first-floor shops, the building sat empty for almost five years. Rooms on the upper floors fell into disrepair, with paint peeling and faded ornamentation in pieces on the floor.
After a unanimous voice vote by a City Council committee, the Commission on Chicago Landmarks designated the On Leong Merchants Association Building as a Chicago Landmark on December 1, 1993, the only such landmark in Chinatown. It has been described as Chicago’s "most significant symbol of the cultural heritage of the Chinese". That same year, the Chinese Christian Union Church (CCUC) bought the building from the government for $1.4 million. The CCUC now uses the newly named Pui Tak Center to host religious, community, and educational programs such as family literacy classes, music programs, computer courses, and youth activities, with English-as-a-Second-Language courses (ESL) being the Center's largest program. Recent Chinese immigrants can also visit the Center for assistance with everyday needs. Serving approximately 2,500 new immigrants annually, the Center's annual $1.5 million operating budget is partially funded by state and local government grants and private donations.
Pui Tak Center