Investigators concluded that arson was the cause of the fire which occurred on Saturday, November 21, 1981, at The American Hotel located at 225 River Street in Hoboken. At the time, the hotel served as a refuge for dozens Hoboken residents who had been displaced by arson fires in the weeks prior. An arson fire at 67 Park Ave on October 12th had taken the lives of two children and another at 1202 Washington Street took the lives of two entire families on October 25th. Among the many families who were sheltered at the American Hotel were the parents of the two boys who died at 67 Park Ave, Modesto Cordero and Carmen Galicia. Two persons were killed in the fire and were identified as Walter Mitchell (51), and Howard Warshaver (52). The documents listed here reveal that the building was in contract to be sold six weeks weeks prior to the fire under the stipulation that the building be delivered vacant.