1935 – Sep 29, Arson Fire (for insurance), 3-story tenement building, Chicago, IL     —     10

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 12-1-2024 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

–10  AP. “Nine Held in Chicago Fatal Fire.” Centralia Evening Sentinel, IL. 10-1-1935, p. 1.

–10  AP. “Police Strengthen Probe Into Strange Tenement Explosion.” Daily Illini, 10-1-1935, 1.

–10  NFPA. “Fires in Which There Was Loss of Life.” NFPA Quarterly, 29/3, Jan 1936, 285.

Narrative Information

National Fire Protection Association: “Ten persons, including two women and six children, were trapped in the three-story brick tenement in which they were sleeping by an incendiary fire started with gasoline in the basement. The owner of a grocery store on the first floor of the building hired a ‘torch’ to start a fire so that he might collect insurance money.”  (NFPA. “Fires in Which There Was Loss of Life.” NFPA Quarterly, V29/N3, Jan 1936, p. 285.)

Newspapers

­

Sep 30, Evening Courier, Champaign-Urbana, IL: “CHICAGO – Evidence of incendiarism was seen by officers in a tenement holocaust which snuffed out the lives of eight persons, four of them from one family, and injured six others here today.

“Frank Vitali, whose grocery store was located on the first floor, was held after it was learned that flames which consumed the building originated in an explosion in the store. Chief Fire Marshall Michael P. Corrigan charged that the flames were fed by gasoline splashed about the front stairway of the building. Vitali admitted under questioning that he had $3,000 insurance on the store and that he had closed it Sunday for the first time in 15 years. He denied any knowledge of how the blaze started, however.

“The flames, which followed a terrific explosion on the first floor of the building, drove back firemen who attempted to reach the screaming victims.

“The dead were [We place names into separate lines]

Ralph Coppola, 9

Pasquilina Coppola, 10

Daniel Coppola, 10 [twin of Pasquilina]

Philip Coppola, 5

Mrs. Rose Anglisanno, 45 and her daughter

Rachel Anglisanno, 24

Joseph Grasso, abut 40, and his daughter

Virginia Grasso, 16.

“Frank Coppolo, 40, and his wife, Theresa, parents of the four dead children, were severely burned as were their other two children, Philomena, 8, and Frank, 3.

“Others burned were Joe Anglisanno and Antonnetta Grasso, 11.

“Police Sergeant Anthony Gentile, owner of the building, said he repeatedly had ordered the grocery store owner, Frank Vitali, to move from the building after several fires broke out in the store recently. Vitali was held for questioning. Damage was estimated at $5,000.” (Evening Courier, Champaign-Urbana, IL. “Firebug blamed as 8 perish in tenement blaze.” 9-30-1935, p.1.)

Sep 30, AP: “CHICAGO, Sept. 30. – (AP) – Police and fire authorities tonight pressed their investigation into a tenement explosion and fire as the deaths of a father and his daughter increased the toll from the mysterious blast to 10. The latest to die from burns received when flames swept the three-story brick structure on the west side were Frank Cappola, 45, and his daughter, Philomena, 8. Their deaths brought to six those dead in the Cappola family, four other children having died last night. The mother, Theresa, and 3-year-old Frank were expected to recover….”

(Associated Press. “Police Strengthen Probe Into Strange Tenement Explosion.” The Daily Illini, Champaign-Urbana, IL. 10-1-1935, p. 1.)

Oct 1, AP: “CHICAGO, Oct. 1 (AP) – Nine persons in custody today in connection with a tenement fire in which ten persons, including six children, were killed early yesterday. Marshall V. Kearney, assistant state’s attorney, said Frank Vitali, owner of a grocery on the first floor of the building, had confessed promising an arsonist $100 to set the fire. Seven of the other eight involved, Capt. John Norton of the Maxwell Street police station announced, had made statements. The exception, he said, was Joseph Di Chiari, 31, alias Mateo, accused by the others of being the ‘torch.’….” (Associated Press. “Nine Held in Chicago Fatal Fire.” Centralia Evening Sentinel, IL. 10-1-1935, p. 1.)

Sources

Associated Press. “Nine Held in Chicago Fatal Fire.” Centralia Evening Sentinel, IL. 10-1-1935, p. 1. Accessed 12-1-2024 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/centralia-evening-sentinel-oct-01-1935-p-1/

Associated Press. “Police Strengthen Probe Into Strange Tenement Explosion.” The Daily Illini, Champaign-Urbana, IL. 10-1-1935, p. 1. Accessed 12-1-2024 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/chicago-daily-illini-oct-01-1935-p-1/

Evening Courier, Champaign-Urbana, IL. “Firebug Blamed as 8 Perish in Tenement Blaze.” 9-30-1935, p. 1. Accessed 12-1-2024 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/urbana-daily-courier-sep-30-1935-p-1/

National Fire Protection Association. “Fires in Which There Was Loss of Life.” Quarterly of the National Fire Protection Association, Vol. 29, No. 3, January 1936, p. 285.