| Julio González | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 10, 1954 |
| Conviction(s) | second-degree murder arson assault |
| Penalty | 4,350 years in prison (171 life sentences) |
| Status | Prisoner at Clinton Correctional Facility (eligible for parole in 2015) |
| Occupation | warehouse worker |
Julio González (born October 10, 1954[1]) is a Cuban-born warehouse worker and arsonist responsible for the Happy Land Fire that killed 87 people in the Bronx, New York City, on March 25, 1990. It is one of the largest mass murders in United States history.[2]
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González entered the U.S. from Cuba in the 1980 Mariel boatlift, where he had been imprisoned for military desertion. Ten years later, he lost his job packing boxes at a Queens lamp factory, and his girlfriend of seven years, Lydia Feliciano, had broken up with him.
González went to see his ex-girlfriend at Happy Land on the night of the fire, but Feliciano rebuffed his advances. González was ejected by the bouncer after he began to fight with Feliciano. He was heard screaming drunken threats, and later returned to the club with a plastic container of gasoline, which he poured on the only staircase into the club. Most patrons were trampled or asphyxiated in the ensuing blaze, though some, including Feliciano, were able to escape.
González was convicted in August 1991 and was sentenced to 174 twenty-five-year sentences (a total of 4,350 years) consisting of 87 second degree murder charges as well as 87 charges of arson. The sentence was the longest ever handed down in New York State. He was also convicted of assault. He is currently incarcerated at Clinton Correctional Facility.[1]