Up until fifteen years ago, I never saw the business end of the criminal justice system.  At that time I was, what society would call, an upstanding citized with good character.  No criminal history whatsoever.  In fact, even though I was overweight, I was planning on taking the firefighter's exam for the Buffalo Fire Department.  I knew it was going to be tough, I had to lose the weight and get into shape, not to mention the exam itself would have been extremely competietive, but I felt I was up to the challenge.  I had a friend who was with the department since 1982 (he has since retired) and was a lieutenant with Ladder Company 12 in Buffalo's Black Rock area at the corner of Grant and Amherst streets.  He was going to help me get ready for the exam.
    Friday, December 6, 1996 was like any other Friday for me.  Just getting of of work at 7AM, I took my regular bus home, but stopped at Tops on the way to pick up some Christmas lights I was planning on using at the restaurant I worked at.  I went home, got into my pajamas, and went to bed.  I woke up around 4 and went to Ladder 12s firehouse, but stopped at the Burger King beforehand for dinner.  I then walked across and went to the firehouse.  I stayed there and talked with the guys till about 10:30 when they got a firs aid call.  I stayed and manned the log, making two entries in the book while they were out.  After they returned, I left Ladder 12 at 11:00 knowing the #3 Grant St. bus would be there soon.  I got on that bus and was a bit concerned that I would not be able to make the 11:26 #16 South Park bus.  As fate would have it, I not only made it, but the bus was a bit late in leaving, around 11:25 that night.  While on the bus, I heard a call on my portable scanner for an alarm of fire at Hamburg and South streets at about 11:43.  The companies dispatched were Engines 10, 1, and 32; Ladders 2 and 11 (Ladder 5 indicated it was available and asked dispatch whether to respond.  Dispatch said no) Rescue 1, B-46 and 56. and the Mobile Air unit. I was walking down Hamburg Street towards South, a good 10-15 minute walk.  I know this because my girlfriend (now my wife) used to live on South Street.  As I was walking, Ladder 11 and Rescue 1 were rolling down Hamburg St. and passed by me.  When I got there, Engine 10 was already working to put the fire out.  While watching the crews do their job, I was commenting to a couple of young men about the fire and they shared some information with me that I thought would be helpful to the investigators.  I suggested they talk to him, but they didn't want to.  So, being the responsible citizen, I took it upon myself to relay what they told me.  The investigator on scene took my name and I walked away.  Later, he approached me and two other investigators followed and started in on me.  They pressured me into confessing to starting this fire, even though I did not do it.  After being taken to their office and a written statement taken, a Police detective recorded my statement after reading me my rights.  It was then I was placed under arrest.  I could not believe what was happening to me.  It was though I was having a nightmare.  After initial processing, I was taken to the holding cellblock until that following Sunday when I was moved to the holding area in City Court.  I went before Judge Eugene Fahey and my bail was set.  I was then taken to the Erie County Holding Center until my sister bailed me out.  That Friday, a felony hearing would have been convened, but the DA was going to send my case directly to the Grand Jury (for which I would have been indicted).  I was also appointed an attorney, for which I had no face to face contact for three months.  During that time, I was hopeful that the charges would be dropped as I knew the bus driver who was working that route that night!
    Unfortunately for me, that was to never happen.  The DA's investigators must have worded their questions to throw the driver off and my alibi defense went down the toilet.  So, the attorney called me at my house and told me about that and had me plead out to a lesser charge.  It still would have meant a felony conviction dogging me the rest of my life and the unintended consequences associated with that.  So I went before Judge Michael D'Amico and did what I had to do to save my neck.  Between then and my sentencing the following April of 1997, I had to report to a probation officer to undergo my presentencing interview.  As I was on my way home from that, I felt helpless. In addition, I lost both of my maternal grandparents within six days of each other and it felt like adding insult to injury.  At my sentencing, I was placed on probation and was out a grand total of $7500 to be paid during that time.  I was so despondent that I felt like there was no more hope for me, that my life had basically ended.  All I know is that for a person with a felony conviction, prospects for good employment were slim and none.  I had even contemplated taking my life at times because of this.  But later that year, I decided to get my driver's license and then took my road test the following spring 1998.  I then decided to go ahead and get my Commercial  Driver's License and pursue a career as a tracor-trailer driver.  That summer, I got the ball rolling with National Tractor Trailer School.  I went to the open house and subsequently was talking with a recruiter.  The problem now was with financing. Since I didn't have enough money to pursue this, I went to the Erie County Private Industry Council for help.  They came through and that November, I was on my way.  Before that though, the recruiter and placement director did a background check on me and called the Fire Marshal's office.  According to them, even though they would deny it, the only thing that happened to me was I was poorly represented.  When I found that out my blood started to boil!  I was never more pissed off in all my life until then!  My thinking is that someone in that office knew that I was never involved in that or any fire!  They're more interested in their precious conviction rate than the truth.
    Fifteen years later what's happened since then?  Well, first of all, I was able to land a decent job I can retire from, been married to the sweetest girl in the whole world, and we have a wonderful daughter as well.  Am I going to say this incident never hurt? No.  Am I going to hold a grudge against any of the authorites who ramrodded me? Absolutely not.  However, my desire is for the truth to come out about this whole matter and for me to get my good name back.