How 1300 People Became Trapped in This Nightclub

Not paranoid, but older, I try to look at the surroundings most of the time. Don't want stupidity to end me.

One my moms friends survived this. Years later she survived a small plane crash at Lunken airport in Cincinnati by dragging herself out of the plane with a broken back before the plane burst into flames. I don't know if she's still alive, but after the plane crash she became a trauma therapist.

Fires like these prove the old saying: "Safety regulations are written in blood."

Firefighter friend once told me the number one reason people die in commercial fires- they run to the door they came in. They develop tunnel vision and suddenly THAT door is the only option. They know that door worked. Problem is- many others came in the same way. Always try to pinpoint at least two other exits.

Clarky Mayfield was a football coach at a small college near me. He was there this night, he got out but lost his life going back in to save other people. He died a true hero. Should be able to search his name

One of my high school teachers said he wouldn’t have been born if his parents had gotten in to the club that night. They tried to get in without a reservation and it was full.

I lived in Maui most of my adult life, Lahaina was my home for a decade. Watching these disaster videos since the wildfire just hits different. Everyone I know who survived had to run past dead bodies. It hurts my soul.

We never thank firefighters and emergency workers enough for just being there, a call away, willing to rush to you whatever situation you are in and despite not even knowing you. Doing god's work

Imagine being that wedding venue hearing about this later. That had to be eye opening and freaky.

The Beverly Hills Supper Club was a hodgepodge of buildings connected to one another with no real fire exits, which provided an excellent way of having fire and smoke spread unchecked throughout the structure while people inside were trapped with no way to get out. The Cocoanut Grove Nightclub fire also had the a similar design which also led to the deaths of hundreds of people.

In remembrance: Marian Adkins, 62 Amelia P. Arthur, 65 William Egar Arthur, 53 Ruth Katherine Backus, 49 Walter William Backus Jr., 50 Jean I. Baker, 51 Warren G. Baker, 54 Daniel Duane Barker, 29 Mabel Marie Barker, 55 Martin Herschel Barker, 60 John B. Beavers, 28 Ann Louise Beer, 23 Donald Nicholas Bezold, 34 Patricia Matilda Bezold, 30 Barbara Ann Bohrer, 23 Jane Louise Bohrer, 16 Judith Anne Bohrer, 28 Mary Louise Bohrer, 56 Raymond Willard Bohrer, 56 Thomas William Bohrer, 25 Doris Jean Brown, 44 James Kenton Brown, 46 Patricia Wilson Brown, 40 Charlotte Fidler Burns, 58 Robert Donaldson Burns, 60 Maxie Mae Hollan, 56 Roy O. Butler, 50 Howard Bernard Carson Sr., 69 Josephine M. Carson, 65 Helen Margaret Castelli, 53 Norbert John Castelli, 55 Stuart Patrick Coakley, 36 Geraldine Cole, 22 Ellen Hearne Cooksey, 58 Fred Miller Cooksey, 61 Carol Ann Cottongim, 32 Robert Douglas Cottongim, 34 Orville Coulter, 68 James Carl Cox, 59 James Brent Crane, 19 Harold Alan Daly, 32 Rose Mary Dischar, 38 Gloria Sue Duncil, 36 Mary Nell Dwyer, 26 Rosemary M. Dwyer, 56 Sheila Ann Dwyer, 23 Elmer Lee Ellison, 60 Nora Lee Ellison, 38 Grace Louise Fall, 48 William Louis Fawbush Sr., 70 Marilyn L. Finch, 41 Virginia Lee Fitch, 62 Helen Wright Floyd, 62 James Edward Fowler, 57 Anna Myrtle Freshener, 61 Fredrica Hehr Fryman, 40 Martin Scott Fryman, 14 Tracy Owen Fryman, 16 Willard T. Fryman, 40 Lenora Hill Gentry, 30 Mary Ann Gorham, 46 Richard Allen Gorham, 48 Russell Oscar Gray, 23 Carol Ann Greer, 31 Frankie McKinley Greer, 33 Clarence F. Gripshover, 48 Donnye Clyde Grogan, 50 Felton Birdsong Harrison, 73 Douglas George Herro, 27 Harry Richard Hodges II, 27 Barbara J. Hous, 51 Dorothy D. Isaacs, 67 Mary Louise Ittel, 58 Ruth Jones John, 59 Lillian Roettger Jutzi, 58 Raymond Clarence Jutzi, 67 Robert Eugene Kettman, 34 Susan A. Kettman, 33 Tammy C. Kincer, 18 Lucy Mae King, 57 Paul Grigsby Kiser, 54 Minnie Jane Knight, 70 Donald Eugene Koontz, 48 Dorothy Maxine Koontz, 46 Carl Krigbaum Jr., 55 Diane Lee Lape, 25 Etta Ellen Leis, 70 Gary Lee Littrell, 29 Sharon Lea Littrell, 26 Leona Catherine Long, 72 James P. Lyon, 42 Monica Ann Lyon, 42 Margaret Elizabeth Malowan, 54 Sharlene Matthews, 27 Herman Clark Mayfield, 35 Sara Lucille McClain, 72 Collis William Mitchell, 50 Minda Marie Moford, 16 Agnes Irene Muddiman, 48 Everett Henry Neill Jr., 27 Paula Lynne Neill, 23 Jean Darlene Noe, 28 Mildred F. Overton, 62 Ruth Holliday Patterson, 67 Harold Russell Penwell Jr., 28 Hilma C. Pfeiffer, 64 Lawrence G. Phelps, 44 Margaret Elizabeth Phillips, 65 Alberta Catherine Pieper, 49 Mary Lou Pitsenbarger, 55 Nolan E. Pitsenbarger, 62 Richard Karl Pokky, 23 Dorothy V. Polley, 72 George Charles Polley, 73 Ethel D. Prugh, 55 Gary M. Prugh, 30 Lloyd J. Prugh, 56 Virginia Lynn Raitt, 34 Virginia K. Ramler, 52 Anna Lee Reinicke, 59 Nell Oakley Reynolds, 71 Elma Beatrice Rhinehart, 74 Charles Joe Rist, 59 Maymie Louise Rist, 57 Robert Ralph Roden, 58 Terrie Lynn Rose, 26 Alma J. Schnapp, 67 Joseph John Schrantz, 63 Mary Agnes Schrantz, 61 Rosalie S. Schuman, 33 Robert Glenn Seaman, 57 Percy M. Shepherd, 64 Charles Daniel Sherwood, 54 Evelyn Mae Shough, 61 Donna S. Skaggs, 22 Paul Herman Smith, 54 Ann Light Stallons, 44 Opal Lucille Stewart, 57 Fred Kolby Stratton, 37 John Robert Strom, 52 Lora June Sykes, 29 Robert Earl Sykes, 29 Steven Howard Taylor, 26 Barbara A. Thornhill, 35 Carolyn Louise Thornhill, 35 Darlene E. Thornhill, 18 Robert H. Thornhill, 36 Rosemary R. Tilley, 33 Glenna Neomi Turner, 63 John Laurie Twaddell, 52 Diana Lou Tyra, 19 Doris L. Tyra, 46 Phyllis Ann Tyra, 24 Mary Susan Vogel, 29 Otilia Margaret Vollman, 84 Fred Eugene Wade, 61 Martha Elinor Wade, 62 George Raymond Walker Jr., 32 Beatrice E. Wenning, 57 Gertrude Mary Williams, 67 Betty Wilson, 62 Mary Ann Work, 29 Robert Fred Zadek, 39 George Zorick Jr., 52 George Zorick III, 33

My grandfather was one of the fire chiefs on the scene that night. That had to have been a terrible scene to witness.

Since Jr High school 30+ years ago I've always tried to stand by an exit while in a room with hundreds or thousands of people. I grew up hearing about all these fires. That's why I became a Firefighter/EMT.

Whenever you are in a large, enclosed public space, ALWAYS identify the exits & make your escape plan.

Writer Robert D Webster who investigated the fire at behest of David Brock ( the former busboy who saw the fake maintenance workers on the night of the fire) concluded that the fire was set by Mafia; either Cleveland or New York mobsters- who had been active in the Northern Kentucky nightclub scene from 1940’s to 1970’s and had been repeatedly rebuffed by owner Richard Schilling for a piece of the action. The Newport area , thanks to the Mafia, had a reputation for being “Sin City” due to the illegal gambling and other vice-related businesses that were introduced during that period. The Mafia didn’t like being told “no” and made threats accordingly to burn down the club. Webster wrote “ the waiters & waitresses expected the place to be torched; they just didn’t know when”.

George Clooney's father Nick, was the anchor for WKRC-TV in Cincinnati at that time, he covered it the evening of, then for several days afterward. There is a set of videos of the coverage that evening here on YT (Or there was when I watched it a few years ago) then several years later he and reporter from back then, climbed the area to show areas in the bush where rooms would have been, and shared their memories. Even those many years later you could tell the impact it had on them.

That clip of someone dialing 911 in a rotary phone is such a throwback. Sad to see such a tragic event.

Considering how many people were in there and what a crapshow the whole design was it’s amazing that only that many died. The firefighters dragging people out two at a time like the real life superheroes they are no doubt played a huge part in this fact.

From what I once heard, a worker got on stage in the cabaret room to warn of the fire, and people were just like, "meh..."

One minor error. The video shows someone dialing 911. However, the service did not start in Kentucky until 1984 with passage of statute KRS 65.760. Emergency dispatch existed for fire and police but were dialed locally.