The tragic Triangle Waist Company fire was on March 25, 1911 — 108 years ago. During the fire, the factory owners, both Russian immigrants, fled to safety on the roof of the ten-floor building. They were charged with first and second degree manslaughter, but were acquitted when the defense attorney cast doubt on the testimony of survivors and witnesses. The owners were later convicted in a 1913 civil suit and paid $75 per victim to the families. By contrast, insurance paid the owners $400 for each of the 146 victims, most of them Jewish and Italian immigrants. Read more about the fire and one immigrant survivor in Tazia and Gemma (see NOVELS).
