The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-06-25
Residents of
 Branch Street
(continued from Page 1.)

squad were looking for the owner, Sebastiano Ramonte, who occupied the top floor and for members Of the family of Carmelo Garro, who resid- ed on the second floor. No one was in the house at 3:15 o'clock this morning when the explosion blew out several windows and startled the residents of adjoining houses.
 About 2:3O o'ciock this morning a Buick car was observed parked in front of the house. Neighbors have tipped off" the police as to the identity of the persons they suspect were in the machine. A short time previous to the fire "a yellow truck" pulled up in front of the house and men were seen carrying wearing ap- parel out to the machine. A search of the place indicated that the clos cts and the dressers in the Garro and Ramonte tenements had been practically emptied of their con- tents.
 The family of Walter Colby at 7S Branch street was among the sev- eral aroused by the explosion. Ob- serving flames in the first floor ten ement, MT Colby, a city employe, telephoned to fire headquarters. Two COIIpdliCo Ol dpP1A Seus, "StS SSANS to the scene. Later the firemen turned in a bell alarm from 8 near by box. The first floor was a mass of flames from the outset. Every door in the various rooms had been left wide open. The ventilation famed the fire into most threat ening blaze. The walls of the kitch- en and dining room were ruined and firemen were obliged to chop holes into the walls to check the course of the flames. The odor of kerosene was suffocating and the whole neighborhood reeked with 1t.
 Becoming suspicious firemen and incidentally to determine whether or not anyone was at home in The ten- ements above a hurried inspection was made. The kitchen floor of the Garro tenement, according to the police, was actually flooded with kerosene. Newly made holes were found in several places in the ad- joining rooms, and pieces of cloth ing saturated with oil were also dis covered.
 Whether the fire was set by friends or relatives or enemies of the owner is something which the po- lice were determined to-day to learn. The absence of members of the two families delayed the inquiry to-day. Mrs Garro and her two chill dren were said to be in Italy.
 The police obtained statements from Walter Colby, Howard Dalton of 64 Branch street, and Margaret and Alex Drapatino of 70 Branch street as to the time of the explo- sion and what was observed about the fire when it broke out at 3:15 o'clock.
 The house was formerly owned by MT. Colby. He has second mort gage on the building at present. An echo of recent fires of suspected in- cendiary origin was noted in the mentioning of the name of the agent in the realty deal. Ramonte pur- chased the house through the agency of Samuel Mazzerella of IA Branch street. On Monday, May 25th, during the absence of members of the, Mag zerella fire someone set fire to his home, a three family house. The blaze originated in the tenement of Frank Aloise and was making rapid progress when discovered. Three families, including twelve children. were almost made homeless by this fire, which bore marks of being of an incendiary origin.
 On May ZUth the residence or Domenic Perotti of Bunker Hill ave- nue Wa sdamaged by a suspicious fire. Nearly $1,500 in silverware and wearing apparel were taken from the residence before the blaze was set.
 State Trooper Murphy, Lieutenant Stevens and Fire Marshal Holland worked on these two cases for over a week. A strange auto was reported seen near the Pirotti residence few minutes before neighbors discovered the flames. However, no arrests were made in connection with either fire.
 Officials to-day attached some im- portance to the fact that Ramonte and Mazzerella are friends and prac- tically neighbors. Whether both have a common enemy anxious to cause them trouble as well as personal losses is another phase. which the Investigating officials will try to learn.
 Patrolmen Robert Phelan and Walter Hayes were among the first on the scene of the fire. having fol- lowed the fire apparatus to Branch street. A report on the fire. the dis- covery of the oil soaked clothing and the small wells" in the flooring was filed at police headquarters by ser- geant Henry Johnson. The police also located the auger used In mak- ing the holes.