| Notes |
- Lockport NY Union Sun Journal - 3/22/1962
Tuesday evening's general alarm fire at 30 Main
St. has claimed the life of 50-year-old Joseph J. Palia,
operator of The Main Grill and owner of the damaged
structure.
Mr. Palia, who stumbled downstairs from his second
floor apartment with his qlothing aflame, died
Wednesday night (March , 1962) at :25 in Lockport
Memorial Hospital.
Hospital officials said Mr. Palia
had been burned over 70 per
cent of his body. He had remained
unconscious and in critical condi
tion since he was taken to the
hospital shortly after the outbreak
of the fire.
Fire Chief Frederick Niland this
morning was awaiting the arrival
of a National Board of Fire Underwriters
investigator from Buffalo
for further investigation as
to the cause of the $30,000 blaze.
Lockport detectives who spent
most of Wednesday investigating
the cause of the blaze conferred
with District Attorney William H
Earl behind closed doors for more
than three hours this morning.
Detective Sgt. Robert J. Buchanan
said "about four persons" had
been questioned Wednesday in
connection with the fire, but added
police were "still investigating
the situation." He said he did
not expect any Immediate police
action this morning.
One of the persons questioned
is understood to have been a wom-
an whom Mr. Palia had known for
some time. She had apparently
lived in an apartment above the
grill until Tuesday afternoon when
she was evicted by Mr. Palia.
The fire is belived to have originated
in the second floor front
apartment of Mr. Palia. The ensuing
blaze completely demolished
the front and back second floor
apartments - water and smoke
damaged the grill below, two third
floor apartments and a fourth
floor storage section.
The building was ordered board'
ed up and padlocked early Wednes-
day morning following inspection
by Fire Chief Niland. City Building
Inspector W. Emerson Schaf-
er and Police Chief Joseph Chaus-
se.
Mr. Schafer pointed nut that all
persons, except authorized investigating
personnel, are probhitied
from entering the building
Mr. Palia, an active bowler '
the Lockport area, was a past
president of the Niagara County
Liquor Dealers Association. He
had operated the Main Grill for
the past 16 years.
Born Jan. 14, 1912. in Lockport,
he is survived by his wife. Sally
I (nee Zalinski) of 28.16 Main St .
Newfane; two daughters. Miss
Angela Palia. Newfane. and Mrs.
Leon Bass of Palmetto, Fla.; a
son Robert A. Palia of Lockport,
two brothers, Amie Palia of Lockport
and Peter LaPaglia of Buffalo;
and a grandson, Scott L.
Bass.
Services will be held at Gaul
Funeral Home. Inc., 263 East Ave.
where friends may call. The services
will be held Saturday at a
time to be announced.
Burial will be in St. Patrick's
Cemetery.
|
1912 - 1962 (50 years)