The only man to stand up and take responsibility for the horrible events that occurred that night, stood up with honour and dignity. Sent letters to each of the families involved expressing his deepest sorrow and apologies. The man has to live with what happened for the rest of his days, that is torture enough.
So the Tour manager took the fall instead of the club owners? Is that what happened? That seems a little fucked up. He organised a gig. You'd think it's down to the club to ensure they have a safe establishment. Not having firedoors blocked and alike.
These events are unspeakably horrible. But amidst all this, it appear Dan Biechele acted in the most honorable manner for his role in the tragedy. Unlike other perhaps more culpable parties, Dan ate his shit sandwich with dignity and honor. That is no small thing.
Isn't it funny how the Fire Marshall who was responsible for making sure that the Deirderian's had sprinklers installed there got off scot free. I guess it's all in who you know.
How can people give this guy even a drop of respect. He was told "No pyro. We are not up to code we cannot have pyro here." and he did it anyway. He went into another persons business full of people and set off a fire bomb when he was explicitly told not to. I bet he does feel bad and I don't care. The owners did all they could have known to do which was tell these bands not to have pyro. Plain and simple this guy killed those people. It would be one thing if they allowed the pyro. Then it would be on the owners. But they told him NOT TO DO IT because of the fire marshal ie RISK OF FIRE.
robert reed he honestly could have probably pled not guilty and got off. Nobody wanted what happened to happen. I think this man wouldn't have been able to live with himself if he had done no time. So sad , so horrible, so preventable , happened so fast.
I know this is very controversial, but I do feel quite sorry for Dan Biechele. Reading about the fire and what happened aftwerwards, it seems he was the only one who came forward and accepted his responsibility for what happened. From what I've read he conducted himself with dignity and honesty, and also wrote a personal, heartfelt apology to each of the families affected by the fire. I know he played a part in what happened, but his part was only one factor in a raft of blunders that combined to create that awful outcome. I personally think he shouldered much more than he should have done here, while his boss, Jack Russell, was happy to let him take all the flack.
Thanks. You're right that Jack Russell, unbelievably, did promote to camara one of his upcoming concerts, while the Station fire was still being put out. I've also read in Gina Russo's biography that he marketed several concerts after the fire as being in aid of the Station Memorial foundation, but the foundation apparently never actually received any proceeds from these concerts. And as you say, he ran and hid in his tour bus while Biechele (and many others) tried to help out wherever they could. When the fire had been put out, Russell approached one of the fire crew and asked 'so did everyone get out ok?' - it was a ridiculous comment that epitomised his attitude to the whole thing. I know that Jack Russell didn't directly cause the fire himself, but he was a major factor. I am sickened that he has never taken any responsibility for his part in what happened. Yes, he says he feels sympathy for the victims, and that he thinks about it every day - well that's the same for everyone who lost friends or family that night, but it's not the same as accepting his part in the tragedy.
+tjf4375 I think you got that reversed.. I too read Russo's book as well as the one written by the lawyer and as I understood it the band publicised a tour with a portion of the proceeds going to the victims and their families however a decision was made that they would not accept any funds but if I am not mistaken, I recall them saying that the band did not retract the assertion even after any donations were rejected by the group representing the family's fund.
+Calvin Findlay Are you referring to John Barylicks "Killer Show" or Gina Russo's "From The Ashes?" Killer Show very much paints Biechele as the only one worthy of redemption.
+My Old VHS Tapes I'm sorry I think I've misspoke it's been awhile since I've read killer show, but after reading it I hated the brothers and had more sympathy for the band manager.
Baloney. He was told not to do the pyro and did it anyway. There were hundreds if not thousands of buildings not up to code during this time. They didn't have people ignoring the owners of the building and setting off jets of fire inside. They literally told him not to do it because of the fire marshall. That means BECAUSE THERE IS A RISK OF FIRE. He knew the danger. Was told not to do it. Did it anyway. Should have gotten life.
Biechele was truly remorseful for what he unknowingly caused, had the Derderians told him not to use pyro, installed sprinklers, or set up numerous precautions, Biechele wouldn't be where he was in this video. And comparatively, it seems the Derderians couldn't care less about the victims in the pre sentencing statements.
I am really surprised how much of a free pass that bouncer / door man, Scott Viera, got after this tragic fire. Not sure why he didn't open the rear entrance doors when he was asked.
I can respect him for taking responsibility. You can see that he’s remorseful. He also wrote a personal letter to each of the families of the 100 dead.
The club is responsible as well. Overcrowded past the legal capacity and no fire extinguishers or sprinklers! WTF! That itself is criminal, reprehensible, and inexcusable! RIP to all 100 victims.
The scary thing is that we all do dumb things from time to time that are technically illegal and potentially dangerous for others, especially while driving. For this dude, a it was a horrible outcome though.
I also feel like he shouldn't get the disrespect he does. he was partly a scapegoat. he was completely selfless in his apology and his contact with victims' families. of course he can never be absolved as it's likely it wouldn't have happened if he had done things differently. I just feel he did everything a man can do after such an event, unlike the other parties that plead not guilty.
I feel bad for him. He obviously broke the law and did something negligent but he never intended that outcome. I don't feel the sentence was wrong. The judge is right the worse sentence this guy is getting is from his own conscience.
Even if he doesn't he will spend the rest of his life looking over his shoulder, fearful of revenge from a family member of one of the victims. When the risk of that goes from 1 to 100 I imagine the paranoia is that much worse. Either way it wont be a comfortable or carefree life.
Cooll Asice He yammered on for over twenty minutes on this one, mentioning all sorts of nonsense like Martha Stewart and OJ Simpson. I only included the relevant part. He spoke even longer at the Derderians' sentencing several months later.
Because the bouncer wasn't responsible for the fire code violations and he did what he was told to do and he's not the one that grabbed the cash box on the way out and tried to bury it in the snow
Thank you so much for posting these... I have been surprised to be unable to find them in the past and I think they are an extremely important part of a historically significant tragedy and one that has reoccurred since its occurrence with surprising regularity.
I read the book ("Killer Show") and frankly, the idea that setting off pyrotechnics INSIDE a wooden building is totally insane. Who in their right mind would do this? I blame the W. Warwick Fire Inspector, the two creeps that owned the place, and this Biechele-I know the story.."we've done it before, no problems". Just crazy.
+GeddyMX There was cheap eggcrate-style foam all over the walls and ceilings of the small stage. Seeing photographs of it, I was immediately struck how absolutely bizarre the effect looked. A tiny recording studio in a basement might be lined like that, but not a concert venue.
@My Old VHS Tapes In addition to a non-sprinklered, wood-frame building and utterly inadequate emergency exits in quality and quantity, including the main entry with two (!) bottlenecks: Inside by that single door and outside by the sideways ramp/stair with a railing just before the main entrance. Despite that, the town had allowed the increasing of total capacity by 100+ upon the request of the club owners. That alone is irresponsible at best, criminal at worst.
@Darian Zielinsky: That is a common fact perpetuated even by 'reputable' sources, but it is not true. None of the exits were chained. The bar door WAS unable to open at first due to a vacuum effect created by the fire. Once the windows were broken, the vacuum unstuck and the people trying to get out that door were suddenly thrust outside.
I believe those few seconds of video revealed a lot about Dan Biechele's character. He was the only person who actually tried to help the victims. Not a single one of the other lying bastards did a thing to help. Not Jack Russell. Not Jeff Derderian. Not Scott Vieira. Not John Arpin. Not Kevin Beese. They all ran away as fast as they could run..
@@NealB123 Was Jack Russell a firefighter? Should he have run into the building? Dude is just the lead singer of a band. He didn't set off the pyro, he didn't ask permission to have the pyro. That was all on the manager. I'm really trying to understand why people keep blaming Russell.
@@NealB123 it's even worse than that. You wanna know what Jeff Derderian was doing while the nightclub was on fire and people were slowly burning to death? He took a cash drawer from a bartender and went behind the building to bury it in the snow. I kid you not. Investigators found the cash drawer a day or two later, after the area had been cordoned off.
Contrast this with Jack Russell who acts like he had zero responsibility and was just an innocent bystander who just happened to be there. It’s his band and his decision. This band manager took responsibility as best he could and did everything he possibly could and reached out to all the families. I am willing to bet that every day for the rest of his life it is the first thing he thinks about when he wakes up and the last thing before he goes to bed.
I couldn't imagine have been in anybody shoes who was involved on either the victims side or the party's responsible. Justice is impossible here. All one can do is pick up the pieces of whats left and move forward best they can. The man is not evil, I hope loved ones can forgive.
In BRAZIL, we had a similar sad situation. God gives strength to all. In such a short time to escape, a crowd jammed at the emergency exit. People already without strength, without oxygen, without hope, without breathing, without life. Very sad to see that the joy was suddenly turning into a great sadness. We went through a similar situation in Brazil and lost many lives. Everyone needs to be careful that this kind of situation no longer occurs in the world. In many cases it is an announced and predictable tragedy. Some people seen in those kind of videos (tragedy videos) are certainly not even alive. In many cases, it is an announced and predictable tragedy; that is, it is irresponsible.
No excuse for the devastation and loss of life these individuals caused. But this man. Without a doubt, stood up and took his sentence while not making excuses for poor decisions made.. Judge was very articulate in his sentencing statement.
Apart from a small bit where he (understandably) wipes his tears, he kept his head fully up during this and accepted responsibility, and I respect that
The judge is correct and concise. The blame should go back to the Building Codes for the County and State, therefor never letting this circumstance of tragedy to reoccur. The flagrance alone to not periodically inspect any existing and/new facility indicates a failure by the Government. Abolish Grand Fathering if it exists. I have followed this tragedy since day one and I Sincerely Pray for all family and friends of the victims lost in this tragedy.
I’m a fire protection major at OSU and they teach about this fire in the very first fire protection class. After learning about codes and standards for fire prevention, I am absolutely shocked at how this fire was even able to happen. I strongly agree that proper building codes would have prevented this tragedy. I wish more people were taught fire safety 😞
Although the judge was long-in-the-tooth, I think he did a good job of putting everything in context. He laid it out there and addressed the past, present, and future. The victim impact statements alone were enough to scar Biechele for life. Insofar as culpability, the fire inspector seems to be the one who should be rotting in a pit.
This man looks extremely geniunely affected by this tragedy in ways that tourments his soul. I feel his pain, he's "PARTLY"_ responsible for 100 lost lives that alone is a lifetime of guilt he will have to live with.
So many were at fault in this horrific tragedy. Only one stood and admitted his responsibility and the apologized in one hundred hand write letters to the victim families.
Nobody wanted this to happen, this was one of the most horrible if not the most horrible thing I've ever seen. This left a permanent memory in my mind when it came on television live in boston. Those poor people. That happened so fast. So sad, at least this man pled guilty. That bouncer will see his day, he has to.
I feel s bad for him....He will forever live with this heavy heavy burden. He is not a murderer, but just someone who made a bad decision. We all do, we just don't always have these tragic outcomes. God lives him too.
He could have taken the easy way and not admit guilt (his lawyers wanted him to do that). He had a part in what happened, but if the Fire Marshall and the owners of the club did what they should of it wouldn't have mattered what he did - in setting off those pyrotechnics. You have to give him credit for doing the right thing. Not easy to do and he showed that he thought of others before himself after it all happened. Not alot of people would or could do that.
This incident wouldn't have happened, ((if the facility was inspected by the fire department)) before the concert happened and the pyrotechnic props used.
As he was truthful, remorseful, and no danger to anyone, I wish he hadn't had to be jailed at all. Some say he WANTED to get a custodial sentence because he felt he deserved it. I hope he's able to live with the event.
The callous neglect from all parties was horrendous. An employee reported that there used to be an extinguisher near the stage, but it had been moved. He (or someone else, I don't remember exactly) ran off to find one in the kitchen area, but by the time he came back, the place was an inferno. Biechele should have been standing there with his own extinguisher as he lit the fuse, regardless of whether the club had some or not. This oversight was another of the many, many "little things" that would have prevented the tragedy altogether. Ugh!
The Band,Bar Owners and the bouncer all need the death penalty,they knowingly murdered 100 people and injured 130 others.They knowingly did this ! That nightclub was over crowded,why didn't they stop letting people in when the club reached capacity ?? 408 was the number of occupancy ! They were crammed in there like sardines,you couldn't move at all ! Shoulder to shoulder.it was all about PROFITS over LIVES ! Bottom line !
Terrible thing that happened. But, he was not guilty. The ones that should've been held accountable should've been 1) Both owners not just one 2) Fire marshal inspector 3) City inspector 4) Zoning inspector These people are the ones who allowed the venue to stay open. Knowingly what was capable of happening. Bottom line, 100 people died over greed, politics, buddy buddy system you pat my back I pat your back, money, and most of all carelessness. The manager was the fall guy.
I think him thinking about the what iffs is a sentence in itself. You can't put the full Blame on him because a lot of people were responsible. He's one of the many things that went wrong that night. I bet he thinks about it everyday. R.I.P. to those that we lost!
What about the club owners? Fire marshal checking the club for safety requirements ? What about the band members? What about the bouncer at the door who didn't let people out? And what about all city officials who are in charge of all safety requirements in clubs owners being in compliance??
Derderians should have received life in prison and Biechele should have gotten community service. Derderians said the pyros were fine so he went and set them off. I think the owners knew it wasn't safe but they wanted out of the bar business so they found a way to do that. In my opinion I think it was an arson fire planned out very carefully by the Dererians but that's just my opinion.
He had to cover all that ground to prepare the families for the sentence that was a lot shorter than they all expected or wanted. People were expecting life in prison. He had to explain why the decision was as it was. Long winded but had to be done.
The brothers say they ordered what they thought was fireproof acoustical foam and were sent packing foam. They say they have a fax to prove what they ordered, they said this a couple years ago on 48 hours coming up on on the 20 year anniversary, I didn’t see it and I don’t know if that’s true or not. Then those pyros were like outdoor stadium sized, so it was a series of failures. I’m sure people feel like s-. Blaming the singer, Jack Russell seems like he barely knows his butt from his elbow, never mind check the walls and cancel the fireworks, but I sure wish someone would’ve thought of it. Someone said the front doors always had one door shut, I think that’s what caused that back up. If you ever see that anywhere open the other one too. When people panic they just want out, not to figure out why the door won’t open.
The fax order is one of the many thousands of pages of evidence in the google drive which should be listed in the description. I have no idea where the heck it is among the countless files, though. I find the brothers' order for "sound foam" rather ambiguous because of course they wanted the foam as soundproofing. That was the intended use, regardless of whether they thought they were buying actual soundproofing foam OR just packing foam.
@@myoldvhstapes yes, if they referred to it as that, that’s not very specific. I can’t find the 48 hours episode to watch it. Then some say they used some black flammable asphalt in there too on the ceilings or something, sounds completely nuts. It’s like it was too much show for that little club. I love Great White, this is permanently attached to them forever, especially the singer, it’s pretty depressing. You know, right or wrong, people have assigned his face to it.
Surprising this video only received 19 comments! But you really can't expect that number to be accurate for youtube has been messing with these viewing numbers for a long time! Aside from all that, (but it should be considered) I really didn't want to chime in on this video but I couldn't help myself.I really think Dan Biechele got off lightly. Obviously, he'll have to live with this the rest of his life but his lack of action or inaction there in led to the death of 100 people and well over 100 injuries. In addition, the resulting complications of broken and destroyed families from this tragedy. He got lucky, man did he ever get lucky. He really should have gotten a stiffer sentence as well as some kind of sentence for Jack Russell. I truly believe he too should have bared some responsibility for this. May all the lost souls rest in peace.
Dear sir/madam: I'm a woman, but we also get called 'dude' here in nutty L.A. I'm sorry you were so offended that you had to call me an asshat. It saddens me that half of Americans haven't learned ONE language. Every day in youtube comments, people type "should of" and "have went" and even both together, "should of went." Why no one- not parents, not teachers - taught them the correct forms of such simple, basic grammar in the third grade is a huge mystery to me.
@@myoldvhstapes are you for effing real? I happen to have exceptional grammar. You can get back to me when you are this sick for over a year. You're one of those annoying creatures who has nothing better to do than to play 'lil miss spell check and such on random folk's comments. You actually crack me up. I'm definitely not offended, I just call it as I see it, so therefore, asshat it is I guess
I let most instances go because so few people learn from it and some are deeply, personally insulted. I DO have better things, but teaching others about English is a worthy cause. When people correct my spelling/grammar/facts, I thank them because I want to know. Most of the mistakes I respond to are people typing that Ty Longley died going back into the club to get a guitar, or that doors were chained shut.
@@myoldvhstapes oh Lord, you really ARE one of those people. Look, I'm sure you're a great person and all. I wasn't frigging offended at all, just annoyed with your assuming I have poor grammar. I know two languages, and excelled in English, so please move your soap box performance to someone else's corner of the world, please. Get over yourself, drop it, let it go. Go critique another commenter. And I know very much about this fire as well. You can't try to convince me that you know the facts better than I do. I have a friend who was there. I would love not to know details in this case. So flaunting any knowledge you have is wasted on me.
Sorry, flaunting was not my intent. I can't NOT correct facts about the fire. It's wrong. From my perspective, I'm a very passionate truther about the Station. No other life event deserves my attention that way. Have you joined us on the findadeath forum? It's a more appropriate venue, although the site calls users "death hags." Just as John Barylick calls us "disaster ghouls. The novel-length Station threads are in the Police Blotter section. It's updated almost weekly.
I didn't know he only did 4 years. Ten would be more acceptable. We don't hpld people adequately responsible for fire safety in this country. These type fires will occur again because of our court systems tendency to look the other way. Why have fire safety laws if we won't fully prosecute them? Why let these goofballs break every law they feel like?
i agree with the judge.he never intended to kill anyone.but pyro should never have been used in a building that small.plus it had way to many people in it alot of things went wrong that night
mory vitalle He was the least complicit & the most remorseful. He was the only one to plead guilty, hoping it would help the victims families. It's not that easy in a case like this, that's what the Judge was trying to explain
The judge is saying no sentence he could give could outmatch the pain and grief this man is going to have to go through for the rest of his life. Which is true. He imposed a life sentence on himself
scapegoat from hell. here's a guy just doin a job, let's face it this isn't The Beatles or GNR, this was just a band doin clubs and makin it week to week. this guy should've never under any circumstance been charged with anything this is a fuckin joke
He should not have used pyrotechnics if he was not certified however, how could he possibly have known these idiots put foam on the walls of the bar. I don’t believe for one second owners did not fully no the band was going to use fireworks they signed for the fireworks packages at the bar before the band even got into town. they knew. I am utterly at a loss As to why owners got off so easily for their stupid decisions. Flammable foam on the walls of the bar and then painting it with the black flammable paint, are you crazy? This guy used pyrotechnics when he was not certified which resulted in the loss of 100 lives he should be punished for it but in no way shape or form should his punishment have been similar to the owners of the bar who quite frankly made some ridiculously stupid decisions. I truly would’ve thrown the book at the owners.
i wrote somewhere on here, that although he was the only person to admit guilt right from the start...i still think he may be scamming everyone. did anyone notice that he cries??? for a decent while , and yet not one tear rolls out. not one! i watched this many times, and not one tear came out. NOW i dont know about you all , i do know that i cannot sib without tears...i am wondering if all of this was part of him being part of a "show." again i am not saying that he is not sorry, but something is really wrong here. what he did was an accident. IF he is not crying here, and this is all for show, even a little bit, well that is unforgivable! no forgiveness for that!
7:14 The sentence.
Thank you. Your awesome for doing that.
6:24 The grace of God is more than enough, far more than anyone deserves.
I think this is one of those cases where hearing the entirety of the judges speech is just as important as the verdict itself.
The only man to stand up and take responsibility for the horrible events that occurred that night, stood up with honour and dignity. Sent letters to each of the families involved expressing his deepest sorrow and apologies. The man has to live with what happened for the rest of his days, that is torture enough.
And he got the longest sentence? Doesn't make sense.
He did not know it would kill people.Have compassion.It was an accident.
Oh he does he sure so so does 😱
Jack Russell should have served time too , at least as much as this man did.
So the Tour manager took the fall instead of the club owners? Is that what happened?
That seems a little fucked up. He organised a gig. You'd think it's down to the club to ensure they have a safe establishment. Not having firedoors blocked and alike.
These events are unspeakably horrible. But amidst all this, it appear Dan Biechele acted in the most honorable manner for his role in the tragedy. Unlike other perhaps more culpable parties, Dan ate his shit sandwich with dignity and honor. That is no small thing.
agreed. integrity and it's meanining is almost lost in this day and age.
These days he can probably look himself in the mirror, unlike the others.
should get that bouncer too hes just as guilty.
More guilty.
At least give him credit, he stood tall and accepted responsibility. Respect.
Isn't it funny how the Fire Marshall who was responsible for making sure that the Deirderian's had sprinklers installed there got off scot free. I guess it's all in who you know.
i'm sure the fire chief was a lib/dim :( . they all help each other escape punishment for their crimes.
God will judge that fire marshall.he should be in jail also.did he take responsibility like dan,HELL NO.what a piss poor excuse for a man.
@@daviddefusco683 God? Where was God for those 100 innocent people?
@@JJ-iq8mi exactly. hiding as usual
Masterclass in taking responsibility and manning up to your actions right here.
it was very hard on him knowing what his action resulted...in 100 deaths but he took responsibility unlike others...that took a real man.
👏👏👏
How can people give this guy even a drop of respect.
He was told "No pyro. We are not up to code we cannot have pyro here."
and he did it anyway.
He went into another persons business full of people and set off a fire bomb when he was explicitly told not to.
I bet he does feel bad and I don't care. The owners did all they could have known to do which was tell these bands not to have pyro.
Plain and simple this guy killed those people. It would be one thing if they allowed the pyro. Then it would be on the owners.
But they told him NOT TO DO IT because of the fire marshal ie RISK OF FIRE.
this man was the scapegoat
robert reed he honestly could have probably pled not guilty and got off. Nobody wanted what happened to happen. I think this man wouldn't have been able to live with himself if he had done no time. So sad , so horrible, so preventable , happened so fast.
I know this is very controversial, but I do feel quite sorry for Dan Biechele. Reading about the fire and what happened aftwerwards, it seems he was the only one who came forward and accepted his responsibility for what happened. From what I've read he conducted himself with dignity and honesty, and also wrote a personal, heartfelt apology to each of the families affected by the fire. I know he played a part in what happened, but his part was only one factor in a raft of blunders that combined to create that awful outcome. I personally think he shouldered much more than he should have done here, while his boss, Jack Russell, was happy to let him take all the flack.
Thanks. You're right that Jack Russell, unbelievably, did promote to camara one of his upcoming concerts, while the Station fire was still being put out. I've also read in Gina Russo's biography that he marketed several concerts after the fire as being in aid of the Station Memorial foundation, but the foundation apparently never actually received any proceeds from these concerts. And as you say, he ran and hid in his tour bus while Biechele (and many others) tried to help out wherever they could. When the fire had been put out, Russell approached one of the fire crew and asked 'so did everyone get out ok?' - it was a ridiculous comment that epitomised his attitude to the whole thing. I know that Jack Russell didn't directly cause the fire himself, but he was a major factor. I am sickened that he has never taken any responsibility for his part in what happened. Yes, he says he feels sympathy for the victims, and that he thinks about it every day - well that's the same for everyone who lost friends or family that night, but it's not the same as accepting his part in the tragedy.
+tjf4375 I think you got that reversed.. I too read Russo's book as well as the one written by the lawyer and as I understood it the band publicised a tour with a portion of the proceeds going to the victims and their families however a decision was made that they would not accept any funds but if I am not mistaken, I recall them saying that the band did not retract the assertion even after any donations were rejected by the group representing the family's fund.
Read the book and you will change your mind... 100%
+Calvin Findlay
Are you referring to John Barylicks "Killer Show" or Gina Russo's "From The Ashes?" Killer Show very much paints Biechele as the only one worthy of redemption.
+My Old VHS Tapes I'm sorry I think I've misspoke it's been awhile since I've read killer show, but after reading it I hated the brothers and had more sympathy for the band manager.
at least this guy manned up.
Dan did indeed man up.
UnIike the others.
Baloney. He was told not to do the pyro and did it anyway. There were hundreds if not thousands of buildings not up to code during this time.
They didn't have people ignoring the owners of the building and setting off jets of fire inside.
They literally told him not to do it because of the fire marshall. That means BECAUSE THERE IS A RISK OF FIRE.
He knew the danger. Was told not to do it.
Did it anyway.
Should have gotten life.
Biechele was truly remorseful for what he unknowingly caused, had the Derderians told him not to use pyro, installed sprinklers, or set up numerous precautions, Biechele wouldn't be where he was in this video. And comparatively, it seems the Derderians couldn't care less about the victims in the pre sentencing statements.
I am really surprised how much of a free pass that bouncer / door man, Scott Viera, got after this tragic fire. Not sure why he didn't open the rear entrance doors when he was asked.
What a burden this man will carry his whole life
I can respect him for taking responsibility. You can see that he’s remorseful. He also wrote a personal letter to each of the families of the 100 dead.
The club is responsible as well. Overcrowded past the legal capacity and no fire extinguishers or sprinklers!
WTF! That itself is criminal, reprehensible, and inexcusable!
RIP to all 100 victims.
The scary thing is that we all do dumb things from time to time that are technically illegal and potentially dangerous for others, especially while driving. For this dude, a it was a horrible outcome though.
I also feel like he shouldn't get the disrespect he does. he was partly a scapegoat. he was completely selfless in his apology and his contact with victims' families. of course he can never be absolved as it's likely it wouldn't have happened if he had done things differently. I just feel he did everything a man can do after such an event, unlike the other parties that plead not guilty.
I feel bad for him. He obviously broke the law and did something negligent but he never intended that outcome. I don't feel the sentence was wrong. The judge is right the worse sentence this guy is getting is from his own conscience.
assuming of course that he might have one.
Even if he doesn't he will spend the rest of his life looking over his shoulder, fearful of revenge from a family member of one of the victims. When the risk of that goes from 1 to 100 I imagine the paranoia is that much worse. Either way it wont be a comfortable or carefree life.
The judge sure likes to flap his gums.
Cooll Asice
He yammered on for over twenty minutes on this one, mentioning all sorts of nonsense like Martha Stewart and OJ Simpson. I only included the relevant part. He spoke even longer at the Derderians' sentencing several months later.
My Old VHS Tapes "Yammered" I was actually going to say that.
What about the bouncer who wouldn’t let anyone out ? bS
Because the bouncer wasn't responsible for the fire code violations and he did what he was told to do and he's not the one that grabbed the cash box on the way out and tried to bury it in the snow
@@thomasnorton5335 who was the bouncer, and who took the cash box?
The bouncer was just as culpable
@@thomasnorton5335 You can’t bIock an exit during a fire no matter how many peopIe teII you it’s your job to do so.
don't worry, GOD will take care of him in the end!
I do feel bad for him, no one wanted this tragedy to happen.
The fact that the owners plead not guilty is a disgrace of the worst kind ever.may God judge them appropriately
Mr. Biechele owned up like a man unlike the rest of those steaming turds.
he manned up and accepted responsibility, unlike the others.
I don't agree with this. It was a tragic night he didn't want to kill anyone. Was used as a scapegoat.
Thank you so much for posting these... I have been surprised to be unable to find them in the past and I think they are an extremely important part of a historically significant tragedy and one that has reoccurred since its occurrence with surprising regularity.
+HappyQuails
You are very welcome! Thank you for watching!
I read the book ("Killer Show") and frankly, the idea that setting off pyrotechnics INSIDE a wooden building is totally insane. Who in their right mind would do this? I blame the W. Warwick Fire Inspector, the two creeps that owned the place, and this Biechele-I know the story.."we've done it before, no problems". Just crazy.
I will never understand who thought it was a bright idea to fire those pyrotecs off in a building like that with flammable materials all around.
Well the flammable material was inside the wall, it wasn't like it was right there. But still, these are called "outdoor fireworks" for a reason.
+GeddyMX There was cheap eggcrate-style foam all over the walls and ceilings of the small stage. Seeing photographs of it, I was immediately struck how absolutely bizarre the effect looked. A tiny recording studio in a basement might be lined like that, but not a concert venue.
@My Old VHS Tapes
In addition to a non-sprinklered, wood-frame building and utterly inadequate emergency exits in quality and quantity, including the main entry with two (!) bottlenecks: Inside by that single door and outside by the sideways ramp/stair with a railing just before the main entrance. Despite that, the town had allowed the increasing of total capacity by 100+ upon the request of the club owners. That alone is irresponsible at best, criminal at worst.
@Darian Zielinsky: That is a common fact perpetuated even by 'reputable' sources, but it is not true. None of the exits were chained. The bar door WAS unable to open at first due to a vacuum effect created by the fire. Once the windows were broken, the vacuum unstuck and the people trying to get out that door were suddenly thrust outside.
You can see him in Brian butlers video helping the firemen try to get the hose ready
I believe those few seconds of video revealed a lot about Dan Biechele's character. He was the only person who actually tried to help the victims. Not a single one of the other lying bastards did a thing to help. Not Jack Russell. Not Jeff Derderian. Not Scott Vieira. Not John Arpin. Not Kevin Beese. They all ran away as fast as they could run..
@@NealB123 Was Jack Russell a firefighter? Should he have run into the building? Dude is just the lead singer of a band. He didn't set off the pyro, he didn't ask permission to have the pyro. That was all on the manager.
I'm really trying to understand why people keep blaming Russell.
@@NealB123 it's even worse than that. You wanna know what Jeff Derderian was doing while the nightclub was on fire and people were slowly burning to death? He took a cash drawer from a bartender and went behind the building to bury it in the snow. I kid you not. Investigators found the cash drawer a day or two later, after the area had been cordoned off.
It also shows him with the cash box he grabbed on the way out and buried it in the snow where the cops found it later
@Thomas Norton: That was Jeff Derderian, co-owner of the club. He was very briefly seen on the tape, but after he already secreted the cash drawer.
Contrast this with Jack Russell who acts like he had zero responsibility and was just an innocent bystander who just happened to be there. It’s his band and his decision. This band manager took responsibility as best he could and did everything he possibly could and reached out to all the families. I am willing to bet that every day for the rest of his life it is the first thing he thinks about when he wakes up and the last thing before he goes to bed.
I couldn't imagine have been in anybody shoes who was involved on either the victims side or the party's responsible. Justice is impossible here. All one can do is pick up the pieces of whats left and move forward best they can. The man is not evil, I hope loved ones can forgive.
I think you are a very rational individual. I appreciate that.
In BRAZIL, we had a similar sad situation. God gives strength to all. In such a short time to escape, a crowd jammed at the emergency exit. People already without strength, without oxygen, without hope, without breathing, without life. Very sad to see that the joy was suddenly turning into a great sadness. We went through a similar situation in Brazil and lost many lives. Everyone needs to be careful that this kind of situation no longer occurs in the world. In many cases it is an announced and predictable tragedy.
Some people seen in those kind of videos (tragedy videos) are certainly not even alive.
In many cases, it is an announced and predictable tragedy; that is, it is irresponsible.
The judge makes a lot of good points, I came here thinking about how he should get life, but he really changed my mind on the nature of sentence.
Agreed. Well stated.
No excuse for the devastation and loss of life these individuals caused.
But this man. Without a doubt, stood up and took his sentence while not making excuses for poor decisions made..
Judge was very articulate in his sentencing statement.
Apart from a small bit where he (understandably) wipes his tears, he kept his head fully up during this and accepted responsibility, and I respect that
The judge is correct and concise. The blame should go back to the Building Codes for the County and State, therefor never letting this circumstance of tragedy to reoccur. The flagrance alone to not periodically inspect any existing and/new facility indicates a failure by the Government. Abolish Grand Fathering if it exists. I have followed this tragedy since day one and I Sincerely Pray for all family and friends of the victims lost in this tragedy.
I’m a fire protection major at OSU and they teach about this fire in the very first fire protection class. After learning about codes and standards for fire prevention, I am absolutely shocked at how this fire was even able to happen. I strongly agree that proper building codes would have prevented this tragedy. I wish more people were taught fire safety 😞
The building should have had a sprinkler system
"He manned up admirably.... but 15 years is not acceptable and is a bit much.... I figured maybe 3... wow."
He only served one of them
Although the judge was long-in-the-tooth, I think he did a good job of putting everything in context. He laid it out there and addressed the past, present, and future. The victim impact statements alone were enough to scar Biechele for life. Insofar as culpability, the fire inspector seems to be the one who should be rotting in a pit.
This man looks extremely geniunely affected by this tragedy in ways that tourments his soul. I feel his pain, he's "PARTLY"_ responsible for 100 lost lives that alone is a lifetime of guilt he will have to live with.
So many were at fault in this horrific tragedy. Only one stood and admitted his responsibility and the apologized in one hundred hand write letters to the victim families.
Stood up and took responsibility.
The only one involved that did so.
Nobody wanted this to happen, this was one of the most horrible if not the most horrible thing I've ever seen. This left a permanent memory in my mind when it came on television live in boston. Those poor people. That happened so fast. So sad, at least this man pled guilty. That bouncer will see his day, he has to.
jack Russell should of been sentenced also his band i sure he insisted on pyros
Dan Biechelle Could easily have overruled him by saying no.
Tysons Accosta he's also responsible
I feel s bad for him....He will forever live with this heavy heavy burden. He is not a murderer, but just someone who made a bad decision. We all do, we just don't always have these tragic outcomes. God lives him too.
He could have taken the easy way and not admit guilt (his lawyers wanted him to do that). He had a part in what happened, but if the Fire Marshall and the owners of the club did what they should of it wouldn't have mattered what he did - in setting off those pyrotechnics. You have to give him credit for doing the right thing. Not easy to do and he showed that he thought of others before himself after it all happened. Not alot of people would or could do that.
Daniel Biechele is a damn fool for setting off the pyro,but an honest fool.
True that.
This incident wouldn't have happened, ((if the facility was inspected by the fire department)) before the concert happened and the pyrotechnic props used.
Kevin N they wouldn't have approved this ever. There were inspections nothing before the event. But, it's sad man. It's all so sad.
Well said they bare a major factor in this tragedy!
I love that he quoted Robert Kennedy. Beautiful , I think very much like this judge, I love rhode island.
As he was truthful, remorseful, and no danger to anyone, I wish he hadn't had to be jailed at all. Some say he WANTED to get a custodial sentence because he felt he deserved it. I hope he's able to live with the event.
Jeez get to the damn sentencing... He likes to drone on and on and on.... : /
omg i was thinking the same thing and you totally wrote what i said word for word
"Extinguish" was a poor choice of words by the judge.
I MEAN DID THEY NOT HAVE FIRE EXTINGUISHERS IN 2003???
The callous neglect from all parties was horrendous. An employee reported that there used to be an extinguisher near the stage, but it had been moved. He (or someone else, I don't remember exactly) ran off to find one in the kitchen area, but by the time he came back, the place was an inferno. Biechele should have been standing there with his own extinguisher as he lit the fuse, regardless of whether the club had some or not. This oversight was another of the many, many "little things" that would have prevented the tragedy altogether. Ugh!
They also should have spriklers.a perfect storm of evil.like the titanic.
How come the band itself was not sentenced as well
The Grand Jury chose not to indict Jack Russell. 3 of the other 4 band members were just session musicians hired for the tour.
And Jack Russell walks away like nothing happened
The Band,Bar Owners and the bouncer all need the death penalty,they knowingly murdered 100 people and injured 130 others.They knowingly did this !
That nightclub was over crowded,why didn't they stop letting people in when the club reached capacity ?? 408 was the number of occupancy ! They were crammed in there like sardines,you couldn't move at all ! Shoulder to shoulder.it was all about PROFITS over LIVES ! Bottom line !
He fired that pyrotechnic to make the show even better, to make it the cherry on top of the cake... Sometimes, things are going very unfortunate.
Yeah he was very remourceful. He definitely didn't deserve to get any worse of a sentence that he got. It's all so awful. 😥😥😥
Stand up guy
Terrible thing that happened. But, he was not guilty. The ones that should've been held accountable should've been
1) Both owners not just one
2) Fire marshal inspector
3) City inspector
4) Zoning inspector
These people are the ones who allowed the venue to stay open. Knowingly what was capable of happening. Bottom line, 100 people died over greed, politics, buddy buddy system you pat my back I pat your back, money, and most of all carelessness. The manager was the fall guy.
I think him thinking about the what iffs is a sentence in itself. You can't put the full Blame on him because a lot of people were responsible. He's one of the many things that went wrong that night. I bet he thinks about it everyday. R.I.P. to those that we lost!
jesus that judge just drones on and on and on...
Whomever built the club should have also been responsible.
Sooooo why did they need pyrotechnics for that small ass stage?
The owner grabbed a cash box and ran out a little known exit while telling the bar maid that handed it to him to go and help people
Which owner? And what happened to the bouncer?
What about the club owners? Fire marshal checking the club for safety requirements ? What about the band members? What about the bouncer at the door who didn't let people out? And what about all city officials who are in charge of all safety requirements in clubs owners being in compliance??
The brothers who owned the club were also convicted.
Damn, wasn't even his fault, wow
It's his fault and he's doing all he can.
Derderians should have received life in prison and Biechele should have gotten community service. Derderians said the pyros were fine so he went and set them off. I think the owners knew it wasn't safe but they wanted out of the bar business so they found a way to do that. In my opinion I think it was an arson fire planned out very carefully by the Dererians but that's just my opinion.
A buyer was ready to sign paperwork the next day to take over the club. The brothers were almost free of it.
Boy, this judge sure likes to hear himself talk! @7:13 he finally gets to the point.
He had to cover all that ground to prepare the families for the sentence that was a lot shorter than they all expected or wanted. People were expecting life in prison. He had to explain why the decision was as it was. Long winded but had to be done.
crocodile tears with no tears coming out Dan only served 16 monthe of a 15 year sentence no Justice in this great tragedy
Hey, I thought RFK made that quote....
I couldnt live with that. Id tell them to execute me.
It Was an accident but I'd like to see the Book thrown at him.
Nevertheless The Court thought it through.
they cant throw a book at someone based on so many factors.
wow insane....
fair considering there was many to point blame..
The brothers say they ordered what they thought was fireproof acoustical foam and were sent packing foam. They say they have a fax to prove what they ordered, they said this a couple years ago on 48 hours coming up on on the 20 year anniversary, I didn’t see it and I don’t know if that’s true or not. Then those pyros were like outdoor stadium sized, so it was a series of failures. I’m sure people feel like s-. Blaming the singer, Jack Russell seems like he barely knows his butt from his elbow, never mind check the walls and cancel the fireworks, but I sure wish someone would’ve thought of it. Someone said the front doors always had one door shut, I think that’s what caused that back up. If you ever see that anywhere open the other one too. When people panic they just want out, not to figure out why the door won’t open.
The fax order is one of the many thousands of pages of evidence in the google drive which should be listed in the description. I have no idea where the heck it is among the countless files, though.
I find the brothers' order for "sound foam" rather ambiguous because of course they wanted the foam as soundproofing. That was the intended use, regardless of whether they thought they were buying actual soundproofing foam OR just packing foam.
@@myoldvhstapes yes, if they referred to it as that, that’s not very specific. I can’t find the 48 hours episode to watch it. Then some say they used some black flammable asphalt in there too on the ceilings or something, sounds completely nuts. It’s like it was too much show for that little club. I love Great White, this is permanently attached to them forever, especially the singer, it’s pretty depressing. You know, right or wrong, people have assigned his face to it.
Surprising this video only received 19 comments! But you really can't expect that number to be accurate for youtube has been messing with these viewing numbers for a long time! Aside from all that, (but it should be considered) I really didn't want to chime in on this video but I couldn't help myself.I really think Dan Biechele got off lightly. Obviously, he'll have to live with this the rest of his life but his lack of action or inaction there in led to the death of 100 people and well over 100 injuries. In addition, the resulting complications of broken and destroyed families from this tragedy. He got lucky, man did he ever get lucky. He really should have gotten a stiffer sentence as well as some kind of sentence for Jack Russell. I truly believe he too should have bared some responsibility for this. May all the lost souls rest in peace.
A little common sense and this could’ve all been avoided… No sympathy for him.
Just listening to this judge makes me ill. (Hey VHS dude) any grammatical errors in this comment? 😄
Dear sir/madam:
I'm a woman, but we also get called 'dude' here in nutty L.A. I'm sorry you were so offended that you had to call me an asshat. It saddens me that half of Americans haven't learned ONE language. Every day in youtube comments, people type "should of" and "have went" and even both together, "should of went."
Why no one- not parents, not teachers - taught them the correct forms of such simple, basic grammar in the third grade is a huge mystery to me.
@@myoldvhstapes are you for effing real? I happen to have exceptional grammar. You can get back to me when you are this sick for over a year. You're one of those annoying creatures who has nothing better to do than to play 'lil miss spell check and such on random folk's comments. You actually crack me up. I'm definitely not offended, I just call it as I see it, so therefore, asshat it is I guess
I let most instances go because so few people learn from it and some are deeply, personally insulted. I DO have better things, but teaching others about English is a worthy cause. When people correct my spelling/grammar/facts, I thank them because I want to know.
Most of the mistakes I respond to are people typing that Ty Longley died going back into the club to get a guitar, or that doors were chained shut.
@@myoldvhstapes oh Lord, you really ARE one of those people. Look, I'm sure you're a great person and all. I wasn't frigging offended at all, just annoyed with your assuming I have poor grammar. I know two languages, and excelled in English, so please move your soap box performance to someone else's corner of the world, please. Get over yourself, drop it, let it go. Go critique another commenter. And I know very much about this fire as well. You can't try to convince me that you know the facts better than I do. I have a friend who was there. I would love not to know details in this case. So flaunting any knowledge you have is wasted on me.
Sorry, flaunting was not my intent. I can't NOT correct facts about the fire. It's wrong. From my perspective, I'm a very passionate truther about the Station. No other life event deserves my attention that way.
Have you joined us on the findadeath forum? It's a more appropriate venue, although the site calls users "death hags." Just as John Barylick calls us "disaster ghouls. The novel-length Station threads are in the Police Blotter section. It's updated almost weekly.
I didn't know he only did 4 years. Ten would be more acceptable. We don't hpld people adequately responsible for fire safety in this country. These type fires will occur again because of our court systems tendency to look the other way. Why have fire safety laws if we won't fully prosecute them? Why let these goofballs break every law they feel like?
i agree with the judge.he never intended to kill anyone.but pyro should never have been used in a building that small.plus it had way to many people in it alot of things went wrong that night
Handcuffs, why?
2years for 100 deaths not right.
mory vitalle He was the least complicit & the most remorseful. He was the only one to plead guilty, hoping it would help the victims families. It's not that easy in a case like this, that's what the Judge was trying to explain
The judge is saying no sentence he could give could outmatch the pain and grief this man is going to have to go through for the rest of his life. Which is true. He imposed a life sentence on himself
scapegoat from hell. here's a guy just doin a job, let's face it this isn't The Beatles or GNR, this was just a band doin clubs and makin it week to week. this guy should've never under any circumstance been charged with anything this is a fuckin joke
He should not have used pyrotechnics if he was not certified however, how could he possibly have known these idiots put foam on the walls of the bar. I don’t believe for one second owners did not fully no the band was going to use fireworks they signed for the fireworks packages at the bar before the band even got into town. they knew. I am utterly at a loss As to why owners got off so easily for their stupid decisions. Flammable foam on the walls of the bar and then painting it with the black flammable paint, are you crazy? This guy used pyrotechnics when he was not certified which resulted in the loss of 100 lives he should be punished for it but in no way shape or form should his punishment have been similar to the owners of the bar who quite frankly made some ridiculously stupid decisions. I truly would’ve thrown the book at the owners.
i wrote somewhere on here, that although he was the only person to admit guilt right from the start...i still think he may be scamming everyone. did anyone notice that he cries??? for a decent while , and yet not one tear rolls out. not one! i watched this many times, and not one tear came out. NOW i dont know about you all , i do know that i cannot sib without tears...i am wondering if all of this was part of him being part of a "show." again i am not saying that he is not sorry, but something is really wrong here. what he did was an accident. IF he is not crying here, and this is all for show, even a little bit, well that is unforgivable! no forgiveness for that!
jail the owner of the building for 100 years...