Killer Show: The Station Nightclub Fire (53 page)

1
Only snippets of conversation among the firefighters
Karen Lee Ziner and Zachary R. Mider, “Many Feared Dead, Scores Injured, as Fire Rips through West Warwick Club,”
Providence Journal
, February 21, 2003.

1
By late morning, over one hundred of them
Scott MacKay and Alex Kuffner, “Nation’s Media Coverage Converge on Town,”
Providence Journal
, February 22, 2003.

2
During the first daylight hours, news helicopters
Titan Corporation, “The Station Club Fire After-Action Report,” under contract to the Office for Domestic Preparedness, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (hereafter cited as Titan Report), sec. A-26.

2
Video of the fire itself
Brian Butler, WPRI-TV Channel 12 videotape (hereafter, Brian Butler videotape), February 20, 2003.

2
Among the questioners was Whitney Casey
Whitney Casey, in discussion with the author, June 17, 2008.

3
Ten hours before the fire
Bryan Rourke, “Fire Marshal Thought Disaster Would Be ‘Remote,’”
Providence Journal
, February 22, 2003.

3
Now he wondered whether the phone message
Edward Fitzpatrick, “Is It Fair to Blame the State Fire Marshal?”
Providence Journal
, April 6, 2003.

3
Amid the crackle of flames and din of sirens
Ibid.

3
Over the next several days
Jennifer Levitz and Zachary R. Mider, “Blaze, Smoke Engulf Victims within Seconds,”
Providence Journal
, February 22, 2003; Tom Mooney, Linda Borg, and Amanda Milkovits, “With Photos in Hand, Families Hold Out Hope,”
Providence Journal
, February 22, 2003.

3
Had she been allowed closer
Richard A. Gould, “Report of Forensic Archaeology Recovery Team,” March 28, 2003.

3
And, over by what remained of the stage
Technical statement / Seizure Report of Deputy State Fire Marshal Robert E. Mowry Jr., June 6, 2003.

4
That afternoon, Fire Marshal Owens’s cell phone
Fitzpatrick, “Is It Fair to Blame the State Fire Marshal?”

4
One was Jackie Bernard
Jesse Hamilton, “96 Killed in Club Fire Started by Illegal Pyro,”
Hartford Courant
, February 22, 2003.

4
“Rocky” was a familiar figure at fire scenes
Tom Mooney and Zachary R. Mider, “The Fire Marshal,”
Providence Journal
, December 18, 2003, including photo by Mary Murphy.

4
As the fire marshal’s turnout boots crunched
Grand jury testimony of West Warwick detective Raymond Lemoi, July 14, 2003, p. 141, lines 19–25.

2.
MILL TOWN WATERING HOLE

6
And that was the beauty of Patrick Quinn’s 1913 plan
Tom Mooney, “The Mill Town,”
Providence Journal
, December 14, 2003. Mooney’s article is an elegant exposition of West Warwick’s history. This chapter owes much to his fine research.

7
With economic downturns often come fire and arson
Ibid.

7
A town councilman sought to negotiate contracts
Ibid.

7–8
In February of 2003 there sat in the southeast corner of West Warwick
Paul Von Zielbauer, “Fire in a Nightclub: The Place; Club’s Fare Changed over the Generations,”
New York Times
, February 22, 2003.

8
A suspicious fire scarred its interior in 1971
West Warwick File Report, File No. 74, Fire District 4, March 21, 1971.

8
If he ever visited the property after 1995
Jennifer Levitz, “Sources” for “The Entrepreneurs,”
Providence Journal
, December 17, 2003; (“Raymond J. Villanova’s yacht and Rolls Royce: U.S. District Court, Providence, 1998 lawsuit,
Raymond Villanova and Frances Villanova v. William Colite and Town of Lincoln Tax Assessor’s Office
”).

8
The dubious allure of operating a marginal bar
Scott Mayerowitz, “A Long History, but Few Problems,”
Providence Journal
, September 22, 2003.

8
A tradesman changing a lightbulb
Jennifer Levitz, “The Entrepreneurs,”
Providence Journal
, December 17, 2003.

9
Each time successive owners sought transfer
West Warwick Police Department Incident Reports, March 8, 2000, and August 24, 2000; Minutes of Meetings of the West Warwick Town Council, November 2, 1993, January 6, 1998, and March 21, 2000.

9
One application of soundproofing material occurred in the early summer of 1996
Deposition of Timothy Arnold in
Gray et al. v. Derderian et al
., CA No. 04–312-L, United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island (hereafter, USDC–RI), May 2, 2005; deposition of Howard Julian in
Gray et al. v. Derderian et al
., CA No. 04–312-L, USDC-RI, January 10, 2006; witness statement of Howard Julian, February 4, 2003.

9
Notwithstanding Julian’s parsimony
Von Zielbauer, “Fire in a Nightclub”; Minutes of Meetings of West Warwick Town Council, January 6, 1998.

9
In arrears to his landlord by over $40,000
Letter from Howard Julian to Raymond Villanova, February 4, 2000.

10
One potential purchaser, Al Prudhomme
Grand jury testimony of Albert A. Prudhomme Jr., May 21, 2003.

10
Julian’s potential salvation arrived in December 1999
Levitz, “Entrepreneurs.”

10
It could not have been the ramshackle building
Jeff Drake Exhibits, Station floor plan and architectural details.

10
It was actually two doors hung back to back
Grand jury testimony of Scott Vieira, March 26, 2003, pp. 28–29, 48–49.

10
And sometimes doorless, in the case of the men’s room
Ibid., p. 77

3.
ROCK IMPRESARIOS

12
“It’s a place where good bands go to die
Grand jury testimony of Steven Scarpetti, May 28, 2003, p. 15, lines 2–3.

12
It was anticipated that the W.A.S.P. performance
Term sheet for Julian-Derderian club sale, seized from Michael Derderian’s house.

12
The lead singer for W.A.S.P
. Official W.A.S.P. website,
http://www.waspnation.com
.

12
Lawless’s stagecraft
Wikipedia, “Blackie Lawless.”

12–13
W.A.S.P.’s road manager in the spring of 2000
Witness statement of Dan Biechele (AG interview), March 3, 2003, 1 p.m., pp. 55–58.

13
According to their accountant’s statements
Financial statements of Jack Mute, CPA, seized from Michael Derderian’s house.

13
Together, they agreed to pay
Letter from Joseph J. Reale Jr. to Howard Julian, March 15, 2000.

13
Having cut his journalistic teeth
Jennifer Levitz, “The Entrepreneurs,”
Providence Journal
, December 17, 2003.

13
One of Jeff Derderian’s stories
WHDH Channel 7, “In Case of Emergency” video, AG’s First Disclosure, 03–815-PR.

14
Older brother Mike was more of a highflier
Financial statements of Jack Mute; Levitz, “Entrepreneurs.”

14
When Howard Julian ran the club
Grand jury testimony of Howard Julian, November 5, 2003, pp. 44–47.

14
Uncovered from The Station’s ashes, it read
Handwritten framed note from Dan Gauvin to Derderians, Plaintiffs’ Exhibit 344 in evidence warehouse.

14
Vanner worked several nights each week
Grand jury testimony of Paul Vanner, May 7, 2003, p. 6, lines 6–23.

14
The Derderians were tightfisted with all their employees
Grand jury testimony of John Arpin, April 24, 2003, pp. 6–7.

15
His co-worker, Troy Costa
Witness statement of Troy Costa, July 1, 2003.

15
Thomas Walason, of the bands Rock Show
Witness statement of Thomas Walason, February 25, 2003, to Detective Eric Johnson, quoted in Johnson’s statement in AG’s Third Disclosure.

15
Geoffrey Read, a volunteer firefighter
Witness statement of Geoffrey Reed [
sic
], October 21, 2003.

15
Justin Pomfret, who escaped from the fire
Witness statement of Justin Pomfret, February 21, 2003.

15
Paul Dean, a carpet installer by day
Witness statement of Paul Dean, March 3, 2003.

15–16
Even if a musician had other business relations with the club
Witness statement of Richard Antonelli, February 26, 2003.

16
According to Richard Carr
Witness statement of Richard Carr, March 6, 2003.

16
In the fall of 2002, Jeff Derderian hired Anthony Baldino
Witness statement of Anthony Baldino, September 16, 2005; Anthony Baldino, in discussion with the author, August 10, 2011.

16
Lewis Cook had the unenviable task
Witness statement of Lewis Cook, March 11, 2003.

16
When the cheaply constructed men’s room door
Grand jury testimony of Paul Vanner, May 7, 2003, p. 66, lines 13–16.

16–17
Howard Julian routinely told bands
Handwritten fax from Howard Julian to Mark Hyman, “re: WASP Feb 23 or 24.”

17
The Derderians caught on Talent Buyers’ Directory, 2003
, published by Pollstar Inc.; Capacity Report, Station Fire Investigation, based on documents obtained from search of Michael Derderian’s house.

17
At 6 o’clock on the evening of
Witness statement of Francis Canillas, March 11, 2003.

17
Warner or his wife called police with noise complaints
Police reports of March 12, 1994; June 10, 1994; June 11, 1994; March 22, 1996; November 10, 1996; and November 14, 1996, disclosed by AG, with witness statement of Barry Warner, March 12, 2003.

17–18
In 2000 the police chief was Peter Brousseau
Memorandum from West Warwick police chief Peter T. Brousseau, May 12, 2000.

18
On a quiet afternoon that same month
Witness statement of Barry Warner, March 26, 2003, pp. 8–9.

18
Back at the club, Mike Derderian spoke with manager Tim Arnold
Witness statement of Timothy J. Arnold, February 24, 2003.

18–19
Later that week, Patricia Byrnes
Grand jury testimony of Patricia Byrnes, July 16, 2003, pp. 7–20.

19
Warner thereafter created an American Foam quotation sheet
Deposition of Chad Martin in
Gray et al. v. Derderian et al
., CA No. 04–312-L, USDC– RI, January 3, 2006, and February 8, 2006; witness statement of Chad Martin (American Foam Corp.), March 26, 2004.

19
the ‘Ford Taurus’ of foam
Witness statement of Barry Warner, March 26, 2003, p. 57.

19
According to Warner’s secretary
Witness statement of Desiree Labree (American Foam), November 18, 2005.

19
Around the same time, Todd Bryant
Witness statement of Todd Bryant, September 10, 2006.