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Commonwealth v. Welansky
The Cocoanut Grove
The facts
On November 28, 1942, fire broke out in the basement Melody Lounge of the Cocoanut Grove nightclub in Boston, operated and wholly controlled by the Defendant. A 16-year-old bar boy lit a match to see a lightbulb in a dark corner, inadvertently igniting an artificial palm tree. The fire spread across the low cloth ceiling almost instantly. Approximately 1,000 patrons were in the club — nearly double its capacity. Multiple emergency exits were locked, blocked with furniture, or hidden behind decorative drapes. The main entrance had a single revolving door that jammed immediately with panicking people. A rear exit was kept locked to prevent customers from leaving without paying. In the ensuing crush, 492 people died — the deadliest nightclub fire in American history. The Defendant was hospitalized when the fire occurred, but had personally run every aspect of the club for nine years.
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Every case in GUILTY or NOT? is a genuine published decision. This library carries the facts and the citation for cases that have already appeared in the game, so you can look them up, cite them, or read the judgment in full. The verdict stays in the game. Browse all cases.