April 29, 1974

Before getting out of his cruiser, the officer thumbed the red button on the microphone.

“Tell the fire department to step it up, Willoughby.”

He had made his way north on Erie Street, through a canyon of century-old brick commercial buildings and stopped just short of Route 20, confident his cruiser was far enough away from Regina’s Restaurant and Lounge, that its green paint wouldn’t blister from the heat. It was just after midnight on Monday, April 29, 1974. Continue reading