Killer Show: The Station Nightclub Fire (31 page)

Exterior of The Station, with mural by Anthony Baldino. When the Derderians shortchanged Baldino for his work, he left the face of John Lennon unfinished. So the club owners added glasses; voila, Ozzy Osbourne. (Photo, Anthony Baldino)

Minutes after pyrotechnics ignited foam on the walls, The Station was fully engulfed. Firefighters use a hand line as they extricate victims from the front entrance. A master stream is directed at the blaze from the right. (Photo, Geoffrey P. Read)

The first of four photos described in chapter 12 showing pyro ignition sequence at The Station. From left to right: Al Prudhomme (shoulder), Scott Vieira (back), Kelly Vieira (back), Mario Giamei (leather jacket), and John Arpin (bald head). Dan Biechele’s head is visible to the right of the pillar, where he has just triggered the pyro. (Photo, Dan Davidson)

Set list for Great White tour, recovered from the ashes of The Station. It was found in band manager Dan Biechele’s portfolio, along with Jack Russell’s guest list for the concert. (Photo, John Barylick)

ABOVE LEFT
Fifteen seconds later, the gerbs have burned out and flames are visible on the corners of the drum alcove. Mark Kendall is playing onstage, and Dan Biechele (far right) heads away from the stage in search of a fire extinguisher.
ABOVE RIGHT
Flames now roar up walls at both corners of the drummer’s alcove. From left to right: Al Prudhomme (cowboy hat), Dan Biechele (flashlight clenched in teeth), Mario Giamei, and Scott Vieira. (Photos, Dan Davidson)

Fire now flanks the drummer’s alcove, from floor to ceiling. From left to right: Donna Cormier’s hand, pointing toward band door, Eric Powers (just escaped from drummer’s alcove), Scott Vieira (cigarette in mouth, turning toward the Cormiers), and Dan Biechele. Note the cardboard box in foreground labeled “
DANGER
” and “
EXPLOSIVE
,” in which pyrotechnics were transported to The Station.
(Photo, Dan Davidson)

West end of club, post-fire.
Remains of stage and drummer’s
alcove in center

West end of club, reconstructed in evidence warehouse.
Note downward-sloping tile floor in foreground, recovered from
front entrance to The Station. (Photos, William White)

Exhibit 458, foam blocks recovered from wall of the drummer’s alcove. Note corner cuts on each foam block, which assisted in matching them to polyethylene foam scavenged by Mickey Mikutowicz seven years before the fire. (Photo, William White)

Michael (“Mickey”) Mikutowicz, in performance as “Ozzy Osbourne” at The Station. Note egg-crate polyurethane foam sheets over solid polyethylene foam blocks visible to the right in the photo. (Photo, Michael Mikutowicz and Edward Lashua)

Michael Derderian and Jeffrey Derderian leave the Kent County Courthouse under indictment for involuntary manslaughter. (AP photo)

ABOVE LEFT
Jack Russell, post-fire. (AP photo)
ABOVE RIGHT
Dan Biechele at his sentencing, after pleading guilty to one hundred counts of involuntary manslaughter. (AP photo)