NYC Happy Land Club Fire Tragedy: Arsonist Julio Gonzales Lit The Match After A Fight With Girlfriend

New York City saw one of its deadliest arson attacks in March 1990, after a fire claimed 87 lives at the Happy Land social club. It was located on Southern Boulevard in the West Farms section of the Bronx. Authorities identified the suspect as an immigrant named Julio Gonzales, who lit the match after a fight with his girlfriend.

Despite multiple building code violations, the club remained one of the most crowded venues. The club had no separate fire exits, which became one of the main reasons for the high number of casualties.

Julio Gonzales immigrated to New York City in 1980, around the time of the Mariel Boatlift. Upon entering the United States, he started working as a warehouse employee. It was at his workplace that he met Lydia Feliciano. The two began a relationship.

Things went smoothly for almost a decade, after which Gonzales ran into professional trouble. He lost his job, and his girlfriend also left him. Gonzales then visited Feliciano, who was working at the Happy Land Club as a coat-check girl.

On the evening of the incident, Gonzales met with his ex-girlfriend and urged her to quit her job at the club. However, Feliciano rejected his appeals, saying she had had enough of him and that she no longer wanted anything to do with Gonzales. When Gonzales refused to leave, he was escorted outside by bouncers.

This left Gonzales infuriated, and he shouted insults as he was escorted out. He even threatened to have the club closed and warned that he would come back. It was his ex-girlfriend, Feliciano, who took the threat to heart and alerted others that he might plan something more dangerous upon returning.

In retaliation, Julio went to a nearby Aramco gas station and purchased a dollar's worth of gasoline. He returned to the club and doused the only staircase with the fuel. Gonzales then lit a match and set the club on fire. Since the building had only one exit, most of the guests were unable to evacuate. They perished in the fire..

​Julio was reportedly still at the scene when firefighters arrived and worked to control the fire. A total of 87 people died, but his ex-girlfriend was among the handful who survived. Gonzales returned home after the fire and fell asleep without attempting to dispose of his gasoline-drenched clothes.

Later, investigators spoke to Feliciano and were able to identify and arrest Gonzales as the person responsible for the fire at the Happy Land club. He was arrested the next day and admitted to lighting the fire.

Gonzales was charged with 174 counts of murder, two for each victim. Additionally, he was found guilty on 87 counts of arson and 87 counts of murder. He received a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in prison on each count. In March 2015, he became eligible for parole, but it was denied. In September 2016, Gonzales died in prison at the age of 61.