The Cocoanut Grove

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.