Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-04-05
Bomb Kills 6,
Hurts 5 al Bar
InLosAnge|es
3 Elected Patrons
Toss Cos Cocktail
Turn Cufe Into Pyre

LOS ANGELES, April S up.
"A makeshift gasoline bomb
turned quiet neighborhood bar
into a funeral pyre for at least
six persons shortly before mid
night.
The coroner said six persons
died at the scene on a quiet
street in south central Los
Angeles. At least five others were
injured.
Police said the bomb appar-
emily was thrown through the
front door of the Club Mecca by
three men who had been elected
earlier when they tried to dance
with one of the cocktail bars
regular woman customers.
A big manhunt was launched
for the bombers. BY dawn police
had questioned scores Of per-
sons and had in custody two
men whom they did not identify.
Assistant Fire Chief r. A. Will
liams said the men sloshed a
bucket of gasoline. or some other
highly inf1amable liquid. onto the
floor and then threw a match in
after it.
1T went up like a blow torch, +"
said the bartender. Larry Fen
ton. "a. who escaped uninjured
out the back door.
Barstool Melted
Others weren't that lucky. One
male customer was found on a
nearly melted corner barstool.
leaning slightly backward against
the shattered front wall. Two
charred bodies were found in one
Of the cafes four booths. An
other vas on the bar floor.
The only woman victim ran
screaming into the street. clothes
ablaze. She died soon after. near
the body Of another victim.
Two other customers escaped
the flames by running into a
restroom and were rescued by
firemen.
Inside. the small cafe was
blackened ruin. The 20-foot-
long bar was a charred wreck.
Shattered. blackened bottles
stood in front of a mirror.
A pinball machine and juke
box also were. destroyed by the
flames.
The three men who threw the
Inprovised sMolot0v cocktail
escaped in q car amid a bar
rage of gunfire from a passerby.
Vernon Waggy. "A, told police he
was walking down the street
when he saw the men begin run
ming as the explosion and flames
shattered the front of the cafe.
) buliet 1OieS IN LAR
II pulled out a .32-caliber
automatic which I carry for pro-
lection and fred at them. /
think I hit one," Mr.. Waggy
said. Police said there were
three bullet holes in parked
car in front of the cafe.
Miguel Martinez. 90. a student,
said he was walking near the
cafe when a car pulled up in
front.
Two men jumped out" he
said. "One sloshed a big can OF
some sort of liquid into the bar. "
Then, Mr.. Martinez said. the
second man swung his arm like
a softball pitcher and the cafe
erupted in flames. Police said
the man apparently tossed in a
match.
The two men jumped into the
car where a third man was wait
ing. police said. They escaped
as Mr.. Waggy fired after them.
Police identified the victims as:
Miss Jackie McInnis, 81; Gil
bert John Gonzalez, 81; Harry
l.. Robinson. go; Tony Smaldino,
27: Phillip E. GrawShaw, 90, and
a John Doe.
Another woman, Barbara Sea-
nelli, was reported seriously
burned.
Minnie Morales. %, a typist,
said the trouble in the bar began
when three young men she had
never seen before insisted that
she dance with them. Police
said they had been denied serv-
ice earlier. but returned for a
second time.
They started paving me, so
the bartender and two or three
other customers threw them and
an older man they were with
out on the street" she said