Julio Gonzalez (arsonist)
Encyclopedia
Julio González is a Cuba
n-born warehouse worker and arson
ist responsible for the Happy Land Fire
that killed 87 people in the Bronx
, New York City
, on March 25, 1990. It is one of the largest mass murder
s in United States
history.
, where he had been imprisoned for military desertion
. Ten years later, he lost his job packing boxes at a Queens
lamp factory, and his girlfriend of seven years, Lydia Feliciano, had broken up with him.
after he began to fight with Feliciano. He was heard screaming drunken threats, and later returned to the club with a plastic container of gasoline
, which he poured on the only staircase into the club. Most patrons were trampled or asphyxiated in the ensuing blaze, though some, including Feliciano, were able to escape.
González was convicted in August 1991 and was sentenced to 174 twenty-five-year sentences (a total of 4,350 years) consisting of 87 second degree murder charges as well as 87 charges of arson. The sentence was the longest ever handed down in New York State. He was also convicted of assault. He is currently incarcerated at Clinton Correctional Facility
.
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
n-born warehouse worker and arson
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
ist responsible for the Happy Land Fire
Happy Land Fire
The Happy Land fire was an arson fire that killed 87 people trapped in an unlicensed social club called "Happy Land" in the West Farms section of The Bronx, New York, on March 25, 1990. Most of the victims were young ethnic Hondurans celebrating Carnival...
that killed 87 people in the Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, on March 25, 1990. It is one of the largest mass murder
Mass murder
Mass murder is the act of murdering a large number of people , typically at the same time or over a relatively short period of time. According to the FBI, mass murder is defined as four or more murders occurring during a particular event with no cooling-off period between the murders...
s in United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
history.
Background
González entered the U.S. from Cuba in the 1980 Mariel boatliftMariel boatlift
The Mariel boatlift was a mass emigration of Cubans who departed from Cuba's Mariel Harbor for the United States between April 15 and October 31, 1980....
, where he had been imprisoned for military desertion
Desertion
In military terminology, desertion is the abandonment of a "duty" or post without permission and is done with the intention of not returning...
. Ten years later, he lost his job packing boxes at a Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
lamp factory, and his girlfriend of seven years, Lydia Feliciano, had broken up with him.
The arson act
González went to see his ex-girlfriend at Happy Land on the night of the fire, but Feliciano rebuffed his advances. González was ejected by the bouncerBouncer (doorman)
A bouncer is an informal term for a type of security guard employed at venues such as bars, nightclubs or concerts to provide security, check legal age, and refuse entry to a venue based on criteria such as intoxication, aggressive behavior, or attractiveness...
after he began to fight with Feliciano. He was heard screaming drunken threats, and later returned to the club with a plastic container of gasoline
Gasoline
Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
, which he poured on the only staircase into the club. Most patrons were trampled or asphyxiated in the ensuing blaze, though some, including Feliciano, were able to escape.
González was convicted in August 1991 and was sentenced to 174 twenty-five-year sentences (a total of 4,350 years) consisting of 87 second degree murder charges as well as 87 charges of arson. The sentence was the longest ever handed down in New York State. He was also convicted of assault. He is currently incarcerated at Clinton Correctional Facility
Clinton Correctional Facility
Clinton Correctional Facility is a New York State Department of Correctional Services state prison for men located in the Village of Dannemora, New York. The prison itself is sometimes colloquially referred to as Dannemora, although its actual name is derived from its location in Clinton County,...
.