Happy Land 25th Anniversary

By Christopher Figueroa

A jilted lover, matches and a dollar’s worth of gasoline led to one of the worst mass murders the United States. This year marks the 25th anniversary of a vicious act of vengeance that ultimately claimed the lives of 87 Bronx residents and left families without solace.

The south Bronx was front and center in the news around the country when 87 of its residents perished in one of the worst fires to rock the already turbulent borough. Happy Land Social Club was once a place where revelers went to relax after long stressful work weeks, but became a place of grief and sorrow for the victims’ families.

Julio Gonzalez entered the Happy Land Social Club on March 25, 1990 at 3:00 am with the hope of reigniting his romance with ex-lover Lydia Feliciano. When all attempts at getting Feliciano to leave with him failed, he vowed to shut down the joint and make her pay.

Julio Gonzalez proceeded to a local gas station where he purchased $1 worth of gasoline and headed to the only guest entrance of Happy Land Social Club. He then littered the entrance pathway with the gasoline and lit a match.

Gonzalez then pulled down the gate to the entrance to ensure no one in the club could exit. Flame immediately engulfed the tightly packed club. Happy Land Social Club was a two-floor structure that had many building violations.

The staircase was so small that only one person at a time could climb up or down it. In addition to the front entrance, there was a service entrance, which was accessible at the time of the fire. Once lit, the fire engulfed the club in seconds forcing guest to panic.

Ironically enough, Lydia was able to escape along with the DJ and a few other club goers.