BOAT IN HARBOR 'BLOWN AWAY': STAGED BLAST SHATTERS EAST BOSTON WINDOWS, IGNITES ROOF FIRES

Author: By Dean K. Wong, Contributing Reporter

Date: Saturday, September 25, 1993

Page: 13

Section: METRO

Contributing reporter Lisa Atkinson and editorial assistant Shelly Lane provided information for this report.

The MGM police bomb-squad film "Blown Away" did what its title implies yesterday evening in East Boston, when a staged boat explosion blew out dozens of windows in homes near the waterfront, touched off rooftop fires and damaged businesses blocks away.

The film, starring Suzy Amis and Jeff Bridges, follows the Boston Police Bomb Squad as it races to catch a madcap bomber.

Shooting around Boston since late August, crews have descended on the Hatch Shell, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Copley Square, where two specially rigged police vans were blown up last month.

In last night's scene, which involved blowing a large boat to bits in the harbor along Border Street, burning embers were blown onto rooftops along Border, Decatur, Meridian and Maverick streets, started several small fires and left the neighborhood reeking of smoke more than an hour after the blast.

"There were four blasts about five seconds apart," said Frank LaFratta, who lives on Decatur Street and had a basement window broken by a blast. "It was a good one."

Fire officials at the scene said no one was injured as a result of the explosion and the fires caused by burning debris were extinguished quickly by the half-dozen or so engines waiting on the scene.

"They said there was some burning debris on my roof, but I can't see it

from here," said Decatur Street resident Mary Contrada, who had 22 windows of her apartment boarded up prior to the blast that residents said went off about 6:30 p.m.

The explosion shook homes along Maverick Street. In the Orient Heights neighborhood, it blew out windows at the East Boston Times and the East Boston Savings Bank near Central Square, and took out a casement window at Larry's Fish Market on Porter Street.

"First there was the explosion, then smoke, then the windows broke . . . in that order," said Norman Steinberg, whose business, Hains Jewelers on Border Street, had two windows shattered by the explosion. "They said they wanted the biggest, loudest explosion ever? Well, it sure was."

"Blown Away" crews set up a makeshift damage-control site on Border Street. Working politely and efficiently, the staff explained to residents claiming damage that they were insured and repairs would be made.

Anthony Puleio, a resident of Morris Street, less than three blocks away

from the explosion, said he heard a "zooming noise" and then he saw his curtains being sucked in with a strong force. "My wife said, 'Tony, oh my God, what is that? Is that an earthquake?"

Although fliers were distributed to residents the day before warning about the explosion, many said they had not seen them.

Puleio, like many other residents, said he was upset because he had not received any warning.

"I think this is terrible," he said. "First of all my wife just got over hospitalization from two strokes; this was kind of a shock. By God, I think they should've notified everybody."

Alice Selden, who also lives on Morris Street, wished she had known what was going to happen in advance. "The house shook. It scared the heck out of everybody because the vibrations were felt," she said. "It was scary because of not knowing what it was."

Delsonina Masucci of Liverpool Street and her daughter, Carmina DeAngelos, said several windows in their apartment were boarded up without notice.

"I can't believe they didn't tell us. See my mother? She's terrified by all this," DeAngelos said. "She's 81 years old, it's scary for her."



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