ANTHONY: JANUARY 1983, A FIRE RAGES IN SOUTH BOSTON.
THIS ONE IS PERSONAL.
>> THEY BURNED THE BOSTON SPARKS ASSOCIATION CLUB.
ANTHONY: THE MEETING PLACE FOR AREA SPARKS, ALSO KNOWN AS FIRE BUFFS.
>> THE FIRE BUFF IS A PERSON WHO HAS AN INTEREST IN THE FIRE SERVICE, THE TECHNIQUES, OPERATIONS, APPARATUS, MANPOWER, HOW THINGS ARE FULFILLED.
MOST WILL DO THINGS TO PRESERVE THE HISTORY OF THE FIRE BUFFING AND SUPPORT THE FIRE SERVICE IN GENERAL.
ANTHONY: BY THIS POINT, INVESTIGATORS HAD IN THEIR POSSESSION MATT WHITTAMORE'S VIDEO OF THE GARRETTY LUMBER YARD FIRE.
IN THE BOOK "BURN, BOSTON, BURN," THE AUTHOR DETAILS HOW THE VIDEO HELPED CRACK THE CASE.
THE MAN WAVING THE GUN WAS A BOSTON POLICE OFFICER.
>> WHEN WE FIRST INTERVIEWED HIM, JUST SAID THAT HE WAS A FIRE BUFF AND HE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A FIREFIGHTER AND HE LIKED GOING TO FIRES AND THE GROUP HE WAS WITH WERE FIRE BUFFS AND HE
LIKED TAKING PICTURES.
ANTHONY: MILLER SAYS ANOTHER CLUE SAT IN PLAIN SIGHT DURING THE INTERVIEW AT THE SUSPECT'S HOME, A FIRE BOX.
A NUMBER HAD BEEN STOLEN THROUGHOUT BOSTON IN AN EFFORT TO SLOW DOWN RESPONSE TIMES TO THE FIRES ACCORDING TO MILLER.
FROM THAT MOMENT, RABLUSKI WAS A SUSPECT.
>> HE TOLD US HE GOT IT AT A FLEA MARKET.
WE STILL COULDN'T MAKE AN ARREST BECAUSE WE HAD INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE.
ANTHONY: INVESTIGATORS NOW HAD A FOCUS BUT IT WAS ANOTHER 14 MONTHS BEFORE THEY COULD MAKE AN ARREST.
AUTHORITIES BROUGHT GRABLUSKI IN ON CHARGES RELATED TO STOLEN CAR PARTS, GIVING THEM LEVERAGE OVER HIM.
>> WE TOLD HIM HE WOULD BE ARRESTED FOR A FELONY WITH THE STOLEN VEHICLE AND STEALING THE PARTS.
ANTHONY: WHEN THE A.T.F. ASKED ABOUT THE STRING OF ARSONS, GRABLUSKI BROKE.
>> HE SAID SIX GUYS IN THE ROOM WITH BADGES AND ONLY FIVE DESERVE TO HAVE THEM.
MR. GRABLUSKI DROPPED HIS HEAD DOWN AND THEN LOOKED UP AND SAID WHAT DO YOU WANT TO KNOW?
THAT NIGHT HE CONFESSED TO ABOUT 30 FIRES.
I WAS GETTING NAUSEOUS.
I COULDN'T BELIEVE WHAT I WAS LISTENING TO RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME.
ANTHONY: WHO WAS MR. FLARE?
AT THIS POINT, NO ONE AT THE A.T.F. KNEW ABOUT HIS LETTER.
>> WHEN ROBERT GRABLUSKI WAS ARRESTED, HE TOLD US ABOUT THE LETTER AND WE SENT ONE OF OUR AGENTS OUT TO LOOK FOR IT.
WENT OVER TO BOSTON POLICE AND THEY PULLED IT FROM THE FILE DRAWER.
THE LETTER WAS SENT TO A.T.F.
LABORATORY AND THEY ENHANCED THE FINGERPRINTS, COMING UP WITH GREG BEAMUS.
ANTHONY: BEAMUS, A BOSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY POLICE OFFICER WAS ARRESTED AND SENT TO SALEM, ENDING UP WITH TWO OF HIS CO-CONSPIRATORS WHO WERE ARRESTED ON ARSON, CONSPIRACY
AND OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE CHARGES.
>> THEY WERE THERE FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS AND DONALD STACKPOLE STARTED TALKING ABOUT MURDERING WITNESSES INCLUDING HIS FRIEND, ROBERT GRABLUSKI, THE POLICE OFFICER.
BECAUSE OF THAT CONVERSATION, GREG BEAMUS HAD ENOUGH AND CALLED HIS ATTORNEY AND ON A NAPKIN THEY ACTUALLY CAME UP WITH A PLEA AGREEMENT FOR 30 YEARS SENTENCE FOR HIS FULL
COOPERATION.
ANTHONY: IN ALL, NINE PEOPLE WERE ARRESTED.
>> WE ENDED UP DOING TWO TRIALS, STACKPOLE WAS LIKE A SIX-WEEK TRIAL.
AND RAY NORTON, A BOSTON FIREFIGHTER, AND HIS TRIAL WAS A MONTH OR SOMETHING AND BOTH WERE CONVICTED.
ANTHONY: THE CASE STILL HAUNTS THE BOSTON SPARKS ASSOCIATION.
THEIR BUILDING WAS TORCHED OUT OF REVENGE BECAUSE TWO OF THE ARSONISTS WERE DENIED MEMBERSHIP.
BUT EVEN WORSE -- >> TWO OF THE MEMBERS OF THAT RING WERE MEMBERS HERE, YES.
ANTHONY: THE BUILDING WAS DESTROYED BUT THE SPARKS STARTED OVER, NOW HEADQUARTERED IN A HISTORIC FIREHOUSE IN BOSTON'S FORT POINT NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT SERVES AS THEIR MEETING PLACE AND HOME TO THE BOSTON FIRE MUSEUM.
TODAY, THE SPARKS PERFORM A VALUABLE SERVICE AT FIRE SCENES, OPERATING OUT OF THIS STATE-OF-THE-ART SUPPORT TRUCK.
>> IT'S REHABILITATION OF THE FIREFIGHTERS ON THE SCENE.
THEY GET OVERHEATED WITH THE TREMENDOUS GEAR THEY HAVE SO IT'S OUR JOB TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE HYDRATED, THEY'R RESTED, THEY HAVE NOURISHMENT.
>> MAJOR MISCONCEPTION IS THAT WE'RE A BUNCH OF LOONEY TUNES CHASING RED TRUCKS DOWN THE STREET FOR EXCITEMENT AND JOY.
THAT'S NOT THE CASE AT ALL.
ANTHONY: THAT'S NOT THE CASE NOW BUT THE SPARKS' REPUTATION TOOK A HIT BECAUSE OF THE CRIMES COMMITTED IN THE EARLY 1980'S.
>> GLAD THEY GOT CAUGHT.
GLAD THEY GOT CAUGHT BECAUSE THEY WERE DOING BAD THINGS.
NOTHING WRONG WITH BEING A SPARK BUT THEY WENT OVERBOARD.
THEY COMMITTED CRIME.
SHAYNA: WAYNE MILLER SAYS THE PRISON SENTENCES SERVED BY THE ARSONISTS RANGED FROM TWO TO 22 YEARS.
ANTHONY: ONE OF THE ARSONISTS, LENNY KENDALL