R.I. nightclub owner freed from prison
Vows to aid kin of ’03 fire victims
PROVIDENCE - A former co-owner of a Rhode Island nightclub where a fire killed 100 people was released from prison yesterday after earning time off for good behavior.
Michael Derderian, who was due to be released this fall, said that his time in prison was difficult, but that others have suffered worse.
He said in a statement that he plans to contribute to a fund he started with his brother and fellow club-owner, Jeffrey, to raise money for the education of children who lost parents in the February 2003 fire at The Station nightclub in West Warwick.
“I would also be willing to speak about my experience while incarcerated, in the hopes that it may deter people from making the wrong choices,’’ Derderian said in a statement posted on The Station Education Fund website.
Derderian, who pleaded no contest to 100 counts of involuntary manslaughter, spent less than three years behind bars. He was given credit for good behavior and for participating in programs that moved up his release date, said Corrections Department spokeswoman Tracey Zeckhausen.
The Feb. 20, 2003, fire began when pyrotechnics used by the rock band Great White ignited foam that the Derderians had used as soundproofing around the stage.
Jeffrey Derderian avoided prison time after pleading no contest to the same charges. Former Great White tour manager Daniel Biechele, who set off the pyrotechnics, was released on parole last year after serving less than half his four-year prison sentence.
Family members of victims objected to early release at a parole hearing in January 2008, saying Derderian had never shown proper remorse. The parole board set release for October without another hearing.
“That makes me sick to my stomach,’’ Bonnie Hoisington - whose daughter, Abbie, 28, died in the fire - said yesterday after learning of Derderian’s release. “Just another kick in the teeth as far as I’m concerned.’’
James Gahan - whose 21-year-old son, Jimmy, died in the fire - said he hoped Derderian would commit himself to promoting public safety. But he said the early release contributes to a broader sense that justice was not served. “The punishment of his own feelings of guilt is probably going to weigh a lot more heavy than the time that he’s spent in prison,’’ Gahan said.
