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Apparently his mother was informed that one of the arson victims was her son, but Dorothy would remain silent and apathetic to the situation until her death.Īnonymous individuals paid for the unknown men's burial and with LeBlanc they were buried in an unmarked mass grave at Holt Cemetery. Oddly, police documents and testimony from witnesses, including other patrons and his landlord, showed one of the three unidentified men was believed to be Frost. Four of the victim's-three unknown white men and Ferris LeBlanc, were never claimed by family members, likely because the families were embarrassed that their relatives were members or sympathetic to the LGBT community. No suspects were convicted and the fire marshal closed the case in 1980.Īlthough there is no evidence to suggest homophobia was the motive in the attack, the attack was ignored and even mocked by members of the public, the press, the authorities, and the local government. Nunez committed suicide on November 10, 1974. Nunez apparently did not realize that the fire engulf the whole building. However, a friend of Nunez's stated that he confessed to starting the fire to him by going squirting the bottom steps with Ronsonol lighter fluid that he bought at a local Walgreens and tossing a match. The second time he was questioned, Nunez was relaxed and did not appear nervous. Police questioned him on the attack two times, the first time he could not respond due to his broken jaw from a previous fight. In fact, Nunez was kicked out of the bar on the night of the attack. Nunez was known to have been kicked out of the bar multiple times. The prime suspect was Roger Dale Nunez, a young gay man who was diagnosed with "conversion hysteria" in 1970 and had visited psychiatric clinics in the past. Until the Pulse Night club shooting on Jin Orlando, Florida, this attack was the deadliest known attack on a gay club in United States history.Īlthough the cause of the fire is still listed as "undetermined origin," it is considered an arson attack due the smell of lighter fluid being present. Thirty-two people were killed and fifteen other were injured. Eventually, the fire department arrived and put out the fire by 8:12 PM. Additionally, the fire department was stuck in traffic causing the fire to spread further. As the fire spread, patrons tried to escape, but many were trapped by the locked exit door and bars on the windows. He would also become a member of the Metropolitan Community Church and be a frequent at the UpStairs Lounge, a gay bar on the second floor of the three-story building at 604 Iberville Street in New Orleans.Īt 7:56 PM on the night of June 24, 1973, the front staircase of the bar was engulfed in flames.
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At some point in his life, he became the bar manager for the Dauphine Orleans in New Orleans. Despite him constantly moving around, Frost kept in touch through letters for his family member's birthdays, anniversary's and holidays. In his twenties, he was severely injured in a car accident that resulted him to have metal implants in his cheekbones. When he became of age, Frost began moving around the country. He and Ruth were also close with his niece and Ruth's daughter, Lynette, stating, "They were each other's favorites. According to Nancy, Larry was a "Soft-spoken, gentle person," and a "fun brother" who was good with children. He was the oldest of their five children, followed by Ruth, Donald, Mark, and Nancy. Larry Frost was born near Detroit, Michigan to Wilfred “Fred” Glenvil Frost and Dorothy Ruth Squires on April 11, 1941.