Man accused of throwing Molotov cocktail at Lansdowne St. club

A 27-year-old man was charged with attempted arson yesterday after police said he hurled a Molotov cocktail toward the entrance of a crowded Lansdowne Street nightclub Thursday.

Mark Recupero of Medford pleaded not guilty in Roxbury District Court yesterday to the attempted arson charge and a charge of possessing a Molotov cocktail, said David Procopio, spokesman for Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley.

Police said nobody was injured in the incident, which happened in front of several witnesses standing outside the club.

According to police and prosecutors, Recupero approached the Axis nightclub at about 11:45 p.m. and threw the cocktail, which missed its apparent target and exploded in flames against a tree in front of the building.

Witnesses reported that Recupero fled toward Yawkey Way in a 1999 Ford Taurus wagon, which was traced to his father in Tewksbury, Boston police said. Tewksbury police found Recupero driving the car at about 2:30 a.m. yesterday and arrested him.

When he was pulled over, Recupero told police that he had visited a Boston nightclub earlier that night and that he ''could not get in," but he did not elaborate, Procopio said.

Police recovered black leather gloves from the car and also confiscated Recupero's clothing, which police said reeked of gasoline. Investigators descended on the club after the incident, collecting pieces of the exploded bottle, Procopio said.

Recupero was ordered held yesterday on $15,000 bail, which was revoked because of an outstanding charge, in Lowell, of operating under the influence, Procopio said. Recupero is due in court for a probable cause hearing Jan. 5.

A representative from the Lyons Group, which owns Axis, did not return calls seeking comment yesterday.