Station Nightclub fire in West Warwick, Rhode Island

[LLC]

Welcome to the thread. What in the fuck happened to your post?

I think he was trying to change the font size....

Do you have a link to her 911 call..

I have never found one, Mi.

[Miho]

I think he was trying to change the font size....



I have never found one, Mi.

Ah ok I wasn't sure. IDK if I could listen to it.

[Moonbaby515]

I've followed this tragedy since the night it happened. I think it hit me so hard because it literally could've happened to anyone, anytime, anywhere. My husband and I used to go to crappy little clubs to see shows, my younger brother played in crappy little clubs all over San Antonio. There's no telling how many of them are death traps waiting to happen. It's just heartbreaking.

It took me 3 days to read this thread...you guys have amassed some amazing stuff here. Thanks to all of you for your tenacity! I usually just lurk & read because I don't really have anything to contribute, but I did do a Google Earth comparison of the site in 2002 and 2012 because I wanted to get some perspective of the size of the building, and where it sat. Apologies if the pic is too large...I suck at resizing things.

[evans]

Hey thanks Mr. International! And I have no idea what's up with that post. I spent so much time on it too. Anyway here's the link I wanted to show you guys. Shrink the screen if the XXX advertising offends you. This site is addictive and incredible.


***Link removed - pornography in violation of forum rules.***

[Nick]

Hi, evans. Your link was put in the moderation queue automatically because you're a new member. Please take a moment to read our forum rules. You are responsible for doing so. They're very brief, but they are a crucial part of how the site is run.

Thanks for contributing to this thread. You can certainly discuss Best Gore, but as the forum rules say, "You are not allowed to link to any page with a pornographic image, even if the image only exists in advertising on that page."

[evans]

My apologies. I was so fascinated by the site and wanted to share it I DID submit before reading the rules. I'm not promoting porn!...just death...ha ha.

[socialhacker]

Hello all and many thanks to all those have posted such valuable information on this most unfortunate event. I am new here but wanted to link an interview with John Barylick (author of ​Killer show) that I found on Youtube that has only been posted recently -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0614qH46Ag

Take care,

Socialhacker

[oldjamesy]

http://www.abc6.com/story/20624734/s...te-lead-singer

[Noelle1966]

Oh, Evans. I don't think that I could look at the website. I know that it must be very interesting, but it is kind of like those movies that they show to you in high school in drivers' ed. I have a hard time with The Station video, itself.

Welcome to the thread. We always like to have new information.

Ok, question. I was watching a video with a memorial photograph of Dina DeMaio behind the person who was talking. The more that I looked at her, the more that I wondered if she is the bartender on Mr. Butler's video. I know that some of the staff was dressing up that night for a 1980's theme. Maybe she wore a headband with a hair extension?

[Noelle1966]

Bridget Sanetti - I suppose that the only way that I can only find a little bit of comfort with her death is that she was with her very best friend.

[Alanwench]

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) â?? A foundation working to build a permanent memorial at the site of a deadly 2003 nightclub fire caused by a band's pyrotechnics has asked the lead singer to take the foundation's name off a benefit concert.
The fire at The Station nightclub in West Warwick was started when pyrotechnics for the heavy metal band Great White ignited flammable foam that lined the club's walls and ceiling. It killed 100 people and injured more than twice that many. The 10th anniversary is Feb. 20.
The band's lead singer at the time, Jack Russell, announced on Tuesday that he would play a Feb. 7 benefit for the Station Fire Memorial Foundation in a club in Hermosa Beach, Calif., near Los Angeles. Members of the foundation learned of the show Wednesday, Victoria Eagan, the foundation's vice president, told The Associated Press on Friday. Members of the group did not wish to be associated with the event and immediately began working to get Russell to drop his use of its name.
"This is due to the resentment and animosity still felt by many of the families and survivors that our very organization represents," the foundation wrote in a statement. "We feel that the upset caused by his involvement would outweigh the amount of funds raised at this event."
In a statement to the AP Friday, Russell said he would honor the request and donate the money from his show to a different charity that he would determine soon.
"I am utterly saddened by the response of the foundation and the motives behind it," he wrote.
The foundation needs to raise more than $1 million to build and maintain a permanent memorial at the fire site, said its president, Gina Russo. The group secured the land last year and plans to release a design during a Feb. 17 ceremony at the site. It has so far raised more than $100,000, Russo said, and has several other fundraisers planned.
Great White held benefit concerts after the fire, Eagan said, and raised about $185,000 for the Station Family Fund, a charity that helped people who were severely burned, children who had lost parents and others. She said that at that time, there was backlash from some families, but board members decided people so desperately needed the money it didn't matter where it came from.
That fund agreed to allow the band to raise money in its name, and agreed ahead of time that band members would not be making money off the performances, she said. Their association ended in 2005.
Since then, band members agreed to pay $1 million to settle lawsuits brought by families of those killed, although they did not admit wrongdoing. The band's tour manager, Daniel Biechele, who lit the pyrotechnics, pleaded guilty to 100 counts of manslaughter. The brothers who owned the club pleaded no contest.
Russell and Great White have split and are arguing over who has rights to the name of the band.

[Noelle1966]

I saw that today. In Gina Russo's book, I believe that she mentioned that Jack Russell was giving "benefit concerts," but the money wasn't going to the foundation. I'll have to look in the book again and see.

[maryd]

Yeah, I just read all the hullaballoo going on about the Memorial Foundation turning down donations from Jack Russell. It is indeed quite the controversy. I haven't really had a chance to formulate a definite opinion--I need to roll it around in my head for a while. I don't want to create drama, but I am curious how my fellow hags feel about this. What a mess!!

[SheeBee]

Why doesn't Russell take the name off the concert but donate the money to the foundation? I am guessing the profits would not be as high because the publicity would not be as high either. Jackass

Oh and Scott V. is a prick.

and related to the BestGore site. The porn ads are really REALLY heavy now. It wasn't always like that but if you do go there be warned and definitely watch your sound. You may scare the neighbors.

[Mammy]

I also remember in Gina's book that she said Jack Russell had claimed that he donated money to the family fund and that it was a lie. The families probably think that he is just using this tragedy to increase ticket sales because people will think they are helping the memorial foundation.

[Alanwench]

Russell strikes me as somewhat of a self-obsessed phony. I just read the passage about how the victims had to undergo extensive surgery to survive and cosmetic surgery to try to look 'normal' while Russell jabbered on about having a face lift. Yes, he's entitled to do whatever he wants with his money, but the juxtaposition of his actions and the victims' actions says a great deal about his character.

[Noelle1966]

I guess that I really have mixed feelings about Jack Russell. I don't feel that he showed as much compassion to these families as Dan Biechele did, yet he never did any jail time and Dan did. Jack was the boss. If Jack said to light pyrotechnics, the manager did it.

[Moonbaby515]

I'm on the fence about Jack Russell as well. Part of me feels that it's the least he could do...and to get the memorial built the Station Fire Memorial Foundation is going to need every penny it can get. I can see their point though. Maybe it would feel too much like blood money for them to feel comfortable using it.

I know that the DAT recording has never been released, but does anyone know if Joe Cristina's last photo taken inside the club has surfaced?

Oops nevermind...found it upthread.

[Noelle1966]

I read that Matthew Pickett's tape recording is as terrible as it gets, if that is actually possible.

[JonHawaii]

I guess that I really have mixed feelings about Jack Russell. I don't feel that he showed as much compassion to these families as Dan Biechele did, yet he never did any jail time and Dan did. Jack was the boss. If Jack said to light pyrotechnics, the manager did it.

Jack can't make anyone do anything illegal, against manufacturer recommendations and/or anything that is against common sense. Dan decided he wanted to be the lap dog.

[Mammy]

No, but he could threaten to fire him if he didn't do what he was told. There had been other acts previously that used pyros and Biechele knew it. Why would he expect this time to be any different? The surest way to lose your job is to not do what your boss tells you to.

[Noelle1966]

I agree with Mammy. I was reading Gina Russo's book and she felt that if Dan did not fire off the pyrotechnics, then Jack Russell would have had someone else do it. Yes, Dan was not certified to use the pyrotechnics. However, Jack was the boss and it is what he wanted. I may certainly be wrong, but I just felt that Jack Russell was just as responsible as everyone else. He just happened to have the money to get out of it. Dan didn't.

[Mammy]

This was also their first tour where they ever used pyros because Jack Russell was looking for something to spruce up the act and wasn't impressed with the smaller gerbs they had looked at. He wanted the big, flashy ones. Adding the pyros to the act was all his idea and he seems to be quite the egotist. Look how many times Great White has split up and got back together and had various other members over the years. Very few people could get along with him because he was the "my way or the highway" type. He looked for yes men to work for him that did as they were told and didn't ask questions. After one split up, he renamed the group Jack Russell's Great White. He also forbid other members who left the group from using any reference to Great White and that also included Ty Longley who basically was paid a pittance after each show. What was the most telling to me is that he basically refused to give a statement after the fire unless he was given immunity. If he thinks he did nothing wrong, why would he need an immunity agreement? Why did he lie and say he tried to help rescue people when there isn't one witness who can back him up? IMO, Jack is out for Jack, period.

[Noelle1966]

Jack Russell ran out the stage door and never looked back.

[Mammy]

Yep, that's the way I see it.

[SheeBee]

Jack was the boss. No one went into that nightclub with the intention of hurting people. Dan was responsible in part for firing off those pyro's and he immediately took responsibility for it. He could have hid behind a lawyer and he could have blame shifted like all the other players in this tragedy. He didn't. Being a member of this website and all the BS I read from other defendants shows me that he is a very rare person. I watch that video and watch what he is doing to help. Jack Russell didn't even move the damn bus but he sure sat his ass down on it.

If it sounds like I am defending Dan, yes I am.

Oh and new page so Scott Viera is a prick and due to the current subject matter so is Jack Russell.

[Noelle1966]

I feel the need to defend Dan. I really do not think that Dan is a bad person. His biggest mistake was not being properly trained with the pyrotechnics and being certified to shoot them off. If he did get the training, he would have understood the danger of those types of particular pyros in that club. So, he was in violation. However, I feel that he got hit very hard compared to Jack Russell and the Derderian Brothers. It seems to have been seen as "Dan started the fire." Yes, he did. However, there were so many other people who were players in this.

[Mammy]

Exactly! Dan Biechele manned up and accepted responsibility for his part of the tragedy while the rest of them told endless lies to cover their own asses and pointed the finger of blame toward anyone besides themselves. He showed genuine remorse and sent handwritten letters to the victim's families. The Derderians weren't even satisfied that they got away with a hundred counts of murder, they expected their insurance to pay for all of their legal bills from start to finish and for themselves to not be out a dime. They even filed bankruptcy to keep anyone from getting anything from them. There is definitely no shortage of pricks in this event. Scott has plenty of company, but Dan Biechele isn't one of them. Even the vast majority of the victim's families see Dan in an entirely different light than the rest of them.

[JonHawaii]

If Dan was afraid of getting fired then he has no backbone. Tour manager for Great White in 2003 wasn't exactly a dream gig. I was in pro sound for many years. If my boss said put that 400 pound speaker right here teetering on the edge of this stage above 20 people I would have said no and no one could have forced me to do it. I would have told them to shove it if they took it further.

[Alanwench]

Amen to all of that, Mammy! Do you recall the part in Killer Show where Russell steps out of the darkness and wanted someone to confirm that everyone got out OK? Dan is the only person who showed true regret for the fire. Russell had his moments of silence for 100 seconds, but it was all about making a show, unfortunately.

This was also their first tour where they ever used pyros because Jack Russell was looking for something to spruce up the act and wasn't impressed with the smaller gerbs they had looked at. He wanted the big, flashy ones. Adding the pyros to the act was all his idea and he seems to be quite the egotist. Look how many times Great White has split up and got back together and had various other members over the years. Very few people could get along with him because he was the "my way or the highway" type. He looked for yes men to work for him that did as they were told and didn't ask questions. After one split up, he renamed the group Jack Russell's Great White. He also forbid other members who left the group from using any reference to Great White and that also included Ty Longley who basically was paid a pittance after each show. What was the most telling to me is that he basically refused to give a statement after the fire unless he was given immunity. If he thinks he did nothing wrong, why would he need an immunity agreement? Why did he lie and say he tried to help rescue people when there isn't one witness who can back him up? IMO, Jack is out for Jack, period.

[Mammy]

I don't know whether Dan was worried about getting fired or not. I'm just pointing out that he was basically an employee and Jack Russell was his boss. I also think that he didn't realize how dangerous those particular pyros were in a place like that or he wouldn't have set them off, but that's just my opinion. If all of that dried, painted over, highly flammable foam hadn't been right where the sparks hit it, we wouldn't even be having this conversation. There had been several bands who had used pyros there before with no problem. Dan had no reason to think this time would be any different. I'm not disputing the fact that using pyros in an ancient wood building with years of code violations was stupid because it definitely was. There was just no criminal intent behind it, yet he still accepted responsibility for his part.

Yes, I remember that in "Killer Show." I need to read it again to refresh my memory on some things. I don't blame the survivors and victim's families for not trusting Jack Russell and not wanting any part of him or his money. I would imagine from their point of view, he always tried to evade responsibility for any wrongdoing on his part and they possibly feel like he is trying to use the victims of this tragedy to make himself look good.

[JonHawaii]

I don't know whether Dan was worried about getting fired or not. I'm just pointing out that he was basically an employee and Jack Russell was his boss. I also think that he didn't realize how dangerous those particular pyros were in a place like that or he wouldn't have set them off, but that's just my opinion. If all of that dried, painted over, highly flammable foam hadn't been right where the sparks hit it, we wouldn't even be having this conversation. There had been several bands who had used pyros there before with no problem. Dan had no reason to think this time would be any different. I'm not disputing the fact that using pyros in an ancient wood building with years of code violations was stupid because it definitely was. There was just no criminal intent behind it, yet he still accepted responsibility for his part.

Yes, I remember that in "Killer Show." I need to read it again to refresh my memory on some things. I don't blame the survivors and victim's families for not trusting Jack Russell and not wanting any part of him or his money. I would imagine from their point of view, he always tried to evade responsibility for any wrongdoing on his part and they possibly feel like he is trying to use the victims of this tragedy to make himself look good.

If Dan had read the warnings for that pyro he would have read that they REQUIRE a 25 foot minimum clearance.

[Mammy]

Yeah, I agree that he overlooked a lot of things that he shouldn't have and will live with that for the rest of his life. Derderian claims that he didn't know the pyros were going to be used, but there are a ton of pictures on the internet that clearly show that box marked flammable sitting in plain sight. How did he miss it? Why didn't Scott Vieira or Paul Vanner say something to Dan about not using the pyros or they could have mentioned it to Derderian and let him handle it if it was a problem? Dan made some poor decisions that night, but he wasn't the only one. He is just the convenient scapegoat.

[JonHawaii]

Yeah, I agree that he overlooked a lot of things that he shouldn't have and will live with that for the rest of his life. Derderian claims that he didn't know the pyros were going to be used, but there are a ton of pictures on the internet that clearly show that box marked flammable sitting in plain sight. How did he miss it? Why didn't Scott Vieira or Paul Vanner say something to Dan about not using the pyros or they could have mentioned it to Derderian and let him handle it if it was a problem? Dan made some poor decisions that night, but he wasn't the only one. He is just the convenient scapegoat.

Dan was the trigger man. He is ultimately responsible.

[Mammy]

He was responsible and admitted it, but he isn't the only one responsible. We'll just have to agree to disagree.

[Alanwench]

Mammy's right, the money-grubbing idiots who installed foam that one idiot called "liquid gasoline", allowed pyros to be detonated indoors and had no sprinklers installed certainly share a large portion of the blame.

[Noelle1966]

Jon, I do understand your point. It is true, Dan started the fire. Dan was not certified to shoot off that type of pyrotechnics. Dan made some poor choices. I suppose that what some of us are trying to point out is, is that Dan realized what a mistake he made and did everything in his power to help afterwards. He could have plead "no contest" and gotten a slap on the wrist. However, he went against his lawyer's advice and plead "guilty." He knew that he was guilty. He knew that what he did was irresponsible. I guess what I am trying to point out is that Dan wasn't the only one. If there were sprinklers in that building, people would have gotten wet, not killed. If there was not flammable foam, the place probably would not have gone up like liquid gasoline. If the fire inspector would have said something about the flammable foam, the Derderians would have been required to take it down. If the bouncers at the back door would have let people out, more people would be alive today. There were just so many players in this horrible series of events.

[maryd]

Jon, I do understand your point. It is true, Dan started the fire. Dan was not certified to shoot off that type of pyrotechnics. Dan made some poor choices. I suppose that what some of us are trying to point out is, is that Dan realized what a mistake he made and did everything in his power to help afterwards. He could have plead "no contest" and gotten a slap on the wrist. However, he went against his lawyer's advice and plead "guilty." He knew that he was guilty. He knew that what he did was irresponsible. I guess what I am trying to point out is that Dan wasn't the only one. If there were sprinklers in that building, people would have gotten wet, not killed. If there was not flammable foam, the place probably would not have gone up like liquid gasoline. If the fire inspector would have said something about the flammable foam, the Derderians would have been required to take it down. If the bouncers at the back door would have let people out, more people would be alive today. There were just so many players in this horrible series of events.

Very well said, Noelle!! You've captured the essence of culpability.

[Noelle1966]

Thank you, Mary. It is just horrible that the entire thing happened. I sure hope that we have learned from this terrible event.

[viridescence]

I've been a lurker on and off since the forums started and only recently started reading through this particular thread (and like many of you, cannot get enough -- I remember seeing the news story when it happened, but didn't know there was the recording, etc., until a few weeks ago). So if this link has been shared already, I apologize. I found it interesting -- it's an account by Matthew Pickett's fiancee, on her website (which seems to be about UFOs, paranormal activity, etc.) of some of their history and what she went through that evening and afterward. She believes Matthew still communicates with her.

http://readyfortheshift.com/2011/04/...remains-alive/

Has anybody found the audio recorded by Matthew Pickett? I know it was used by the prosecution.

[Dangitbawb]

If Dan was afraid of getting fired then he has no backbone. Tour manager for Great White in 2003 wasn't exactly a dream gig. I was in pro sound for many years. If my boss said put that 400 pound speaker right here teetering on the edge of this stage above 20 people I would have said no and no one could have forced me to do it. I would have told them to shove it if they took it further.

There's no evidence that Dan was afraid of getting fired. He could have been just a regular Joe, happy to have a job and trusted that everybody else knew what they were doing. I don't know, but it's what I suspect. His ignorance cost him dearly, and he manned up. He pleaded guilty, was willing to serve whatever sentence was handed to him, served time in prison and hand-wrote letters to the families of the dead. Nobody else did that. They all hid behind their attorneys to minimize their culpability. I would say he definitely has backbone.

[SheeBee]

I've been a lurker on and off since the forums started and only recently started reading through this particular thread (and like many of you, cannot get enough -- I remember seeing the news story when it happened, but didn't know there was the recording, etc., until a few weeks ago). So if this link has been shared already, I apologize. I found it interesting -- it's an account by Matthew Pickett's fiancee, on her website (which seems to be about UFOs, paranormal activity, etc.) of some of their history and what she went through that evening and afterward. She believes Matthew still communicates with her.

http://readyfortheshift.com/2011/04/...remains-alive/

Has anybody found the audio recorded by Matthew Pickett? I know it was used by the prosecution.

Thank you for the link. I don't think they have released his audio. I'm not sure who owns it now. If it's the parents I'm sure it will never be released.

[Noelle1966]

That's an interesting link. More than one family member had indicated that their loved ones have communicated with them. I hope it is a way of saying, "please don't worry. I am ok now."

[Noelle1966]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jae1fglq-9g

The blonde lady at 1:45. Do you think that is Linda Suffaletto?

[LLC]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jae1fglq-9g

The blonde lady at 1:45. Do you think that is Linda Suffaletto?

I originally thought it could be her...I don't think so though...

[ChicagoBorn]

Thank you for the link. I don't think they have released his audio. I'm not sure who owns it now. If it's the parents I'm sure it will never be released.

Would it be quoted in the trial transcript? I'm not wise about this stuff.

[Noelle1966]

I believe that Mr. Barylick has heard the audio. He commented in "Killer Show" that it was not something that we wanted to hear.

[Noelle1966]

You see these people in the "before" video and you know about some of them. You know that they either got out unharmed or they did not. There are some people that we look at and we just wonder about. We don't read or hear anything about them. We look at them in the "before" video and think "what happened to them?" I see so many happy people in that video and it is so sad to know what is happening to them in such a short time later.

[Crimsonams]

Well, so much to comment on...lets see if I can remember everything.
Re: Russell's concert: Why the hell wouldn't he approach the Memorial people about doing the benefit before announcing that he was doing it? Because he knew damn well they didn't want anything to do with him. As always, he was looking out for himself and trying to paint himself as the good guy. "Well they all think I'm an ass, but look at me, I'm willing to do this in spite of that to show them what a nice guy I am." No, he was well aware that the 10th anniversary was going to be news, and he wanted to jump on it. Especially since it's been written in a few books and articles that the benefits he'd supposedly done in the past were for him and him only. He's trying to save face.

Re: Dan Biechele: I've said this before in other posts. Dan paid for what he did, and as far as I'm concerned his conscience is clean. Yes Jon is right, he was the trigger man, and he was responsible. But what others (and myself as well) have said, there were so many other factors that had to come together for this tragedy to happen like it did. Out of all of them, Dan is the only one who owned up, did his time, and was truly sorry for what happened. If I met him on the street tomorrow I would walk up, shake his hand, and tell him that while I know he screwed up he still had my respect for doing everything in his power to make things right. The other actors in this tragedy will continue to get nothing but scorn from me.

Re: Matthew Pickett's DAT Recording: If I remember in Killer Show, they worked their butts off to get a usable copy of the recording, and were able to do so. For certain, the prosecutors had a copy for the hearing. Here's an article about it: http://www.dailynewstranscript.com/n...#axzz2Idd99z79
I'm not going to lie, I want to hear it, even though I know it's going to be harder to listen to than the audio on Butler's video. I like having all available angles of a story, and this would definitely cover what was going on inside while Butler was filming in the parking lot. One's imagination can be much worse than what actually happened, and my imagination can be pretty wild.

As always, my comments are just my opinion. Like Mammy says, we have to agree to disagree on some things. But that's the beauty of it. I like hearing other people's thoughts on things, whether I agree with them or not. Like I said, I want to hear all angles of the story.
Oh, and one more thing, welcome to all the new posters that have shown up since I last posted! I've actually spent some time on the Best Gore site, and it does have some great source material, but the porn stuff is getting out of hand. Every time I do click on there, my hubby's like "What the hell are you looking at?!"

[Noelle1966]

Interesting. I wonder if the audio ever will be released to the public. For Matthew Pickett and so many others, I hope that it happened very quickly. It seems as if the people in the door got the brunt of it. They were so close to freedom, yet not able to break free. I would find the audio interesting, as well, but I cannot deny that I have had bad dreams about Mr. Butler's video. I am not sure how I would react to Matthew's recording. I cannot imagine what his parents went through.