This Year’s Memorial Mass commemorates 35 Years Since That Tragic Fire where 87 People Died.
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Copyright 2025 by Teofilo Colon Jr (a.k.a. “Tio Teo”) for Being Garifuna. All Rights Reserved. Contact Tio Teo.
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Bronx, New York — The 2025 Memorial Mass of The Happy Land Social Club Fire will be later today, TUESDAY, March 25th 2025 ah 6pm as presented by Bronx Community Board 6.
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This Memorial Mass will take place at Saint Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, which is located at 1900 Crotona Parkway.
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After The Memorial Mass, a Procession of people walk from the Church to The Happy Land Monument, where a Vigil takes place.
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The Happy Land Social Club Fire refers to a tragic fire that took place on March 25th 1990 at The Happy Land Social Club, an unlicensed social club in The Bronx.
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It took place after an argument between Julio Gonzalez, a Cuban Refugee, and his ex-Girlfriend, Lydia Feliciano, a woman who worked as a coat-check girl at the Club.
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Upon being thrown out of the Happy Land Social Club, Mr. Julio Gonzalez vowed to return and get his revenge.
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He walked to a nearby gas station, bought one dollar’s worth of Gasoline, returned to the Happy Land Social Club and with a match, set Fire to the only known exit/entrance to the establishment.
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The amount of people who have attended this Memorial Mass has dwindled over the years. People grieve in their own ways and some of the family. friends and colleagues of the Victims have moved on with their lives.
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However, we still Love the Deceased, we Miss them and we Honor them by keeping their memories close to our Hearts.