35 years later, pain of Happy Land Social Club fire remains
NEW YORK (PIX11) -- The years have passed, but the pain remains.
“The fact that they are still remembered 35 years later is touching. Sad but heartwarming,” said NYPD Officer Carlos Ellis. He was among those paying respects on the 35th anniversary of the Happy Land Social Club fire in the Bronx.
His cousins Hector Alvares and Isnes Martinez, were two of the 87 people who perished on that night of 1990. Most of them were Hondurans.
“They were very caring and loving, full of life, always smiling,” added Ellis.
What should’ve been a celebration turned into a disaster. Franco Mena is a survivor. “Every single day that night is in my mind," said Mena.
Julio Gonzalez was sentenced to 25 years in prison for setting the fire after he was thrown out of the club for fighting with his ex-girlfriend.
“The 87 brothers and sisters we lost were husbands, wives, nieces, nephews, and children,” said Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson.
This devastation has also served as a commitment for New York City to make sure buildings are up to code. According to authorities, the club had a number of fire code violations, including no fire exits or sprinklers.
“In that time, we also learned a lot about building safety, fire education, and about the infrastructure of buildings being up to quality as much as they could be.”
White roses were placed at the memorial site right across from where the nightclub used to be on East Tremont Avenue and Southern Boulevard.
“I know more than 40-50 people who died. I feel like they are waiting for me with God,” said Mena.
A night that changed the history of the Bronx and New York City altogether. And that will never be forgotten by family members of those who died, like Officer Ellis, who decided to become an NYPD member as a way of honoring his two cousins.
“If I can change one life, then I met my goal,” concluded Ellis.