Mike Bondar, Who Created Iconic ‘I Closed Wolski’s’ Sticker, Has Died

The ubiquitous “I Closed Wolski’s” stickers, a treasured souvenir for those who make it to closing time at the famed East Side watering hole, can be found all over the world.

It’s an icon of Milwaukee, and the man who created that icon of Milwaukee, longtime Wolski’s fixture Mike Bondar, has died.

Bondar was a great-grandson of the bar’s original founders, who opened the business in 1908. Members of a fourth generation of the family continue to run Wolski’s, 1836 N. Pulaski St.

“The Wolski’s family shares bittersweet news: oldest brother, longtime bartender, caretaker and storyteller of the tavern, Mike Bondar, has passed away peacefully, surrounded by family and friends,” a statement from Bondar’s family reads.

Bondar came up with the idea for the stickers in the 1970s after “a crew o