Cocoanut Grove Fire – Special Section

This Special Section contains a listing of many topics of information relating to the Cocoanut Grove Fire of November 28, 1942. These topics and the links listed below were developed from a number of sources. The sources have collected information, data, photographs, witness statements, and other historical data over the years since the fire.

The information obtained from the sources is being made available to the public for the first time, via this website. The Boston Fire Historical Society is grateful for the sources for allowing the Society to present the information in a web-based archive. The Story of the Cocoanut Grove Fire.

Rose Ponzi’s Bookkeeper’s Ledger Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4	Hoseman Johnny Rose (E-22) Fire Story and Interview	Bus-boy Tony Marra Testimony and Biography
Preliminary Casualty List	Ladderman Pat Connolly (Lad. 15) Fire Story and Interview	Patron Henry Gaw Personal Story
Cocoanut Grove Restaurant Menu	Hoseman George (Red) Graney (Engine 35) Fire Story	Patrons Ferd Bruck & Cleo Lambridis Personal Story
Massachusetts Examiners of Electricians Report	Hoseman John Crowley (Engine 9) Fire Story	Waiter John J. Rizzo Testimony
Photo of “Where the Fire Started”	Ladderman Ralph Reis (Ladder 17) Interview	Patron Dr. Joseph Dreyfus Personal Story and Interview
Monogram Theater Group – List of Casualties	Hoseman Win Robbins (Engine 21) Fire Story	Singer Dorothy (Dotty) Myles Biography
F.B.I. Memorandum – December 4, 1942	Fire Report: Deputy Chief – Division 1	Patron Hewson Gray Personal Story
Connecticut Tuberculosis Commission Memorandum	Fire Report: District 7 Chief William Mahoney	Patron Hewson Gray Personal Story
U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Report – September 1942	Fire Report: District 9 Chief	Patron Louise Bouvier Personal Story and Interview
Massachusetts General Hospital Victim Statistics	Fire Report: Engine Company 7	Patron Ruth Marell Interview
Methyl Chloride Theory Analysis	Fire Report: Engine Company 9
State Fire Marshal Stephen Garrity’s Report, November 1943	Fire Report: Engine Company 12
Floorplan diagrams for Floor 1 and Floor 2	Fire Report: Engine Company 20
Running Cards for Box 1514 and Box 1521	Fire Report: Engine Company 22
Fire Commissioners Report Concerning Cocoanut Grove Fire	Fire Report: Engine Company 35
F.B.I. Memoranda – November 30, 1942	Fire Report: Engine Company 37
F.B.I. Memoranda – December 3, 1942	Fire Report: Engine Company 43
Boston Police Department Witness Statements Vol. 1	Fire Report: Engine Company 50
Boston Police Department Witness Statements Vol. 2	Fire Report: Engine Company 53
Boston Police Department Witness Statements Vol. 3	Fire Report: Ladder Company 3
	Fire Report: Ladder Company 13
	Fire Report: Ladder Company 15
	Fire Report: Ladder Company 17
	Fire Report: Rescue Company 1
	Fire Report: Rescue Company 2
	Fire Report: Rescue Company 3
	Fire Report: Water Tower Company 2
	Station Log Book: Engine Company 39
	BFD Chronological Response
	BFD Response By Fire Company
	Commendation – BFD General Order 12 of 1943
	Deputy Chief McDonough’s letter to Fire Commissioner
	District Chief John Vahey’s Report in 1970
	Lynn F.D. Rescue Co. Log Book showing response