What led up to the Realty Building explosion?

The release of initial findings by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in their investigation into what caused the explosion contained volumes of new information. 

Much of that centers around the weeks leading up to that afternoon one year ago and what the building's owners, architects and city officials did. It also showed what wasn't discussed with regard to the gas line that was cut. 

Hundreds of pages of transcripts were included in the NTSB documents. Those interviewed by NTSB all had different perspectives, but every one of them said they assumed the line was dead, and no one double checked. 

As part of the SMART 2 project in downtown Youngstown, the city needed underground vaults to be filled in. Much of that work was done by another company, with one exception: The Realty Building. 

For that building, where the work had fallen behind schedule, Youngstown deputy director of public works Charles Shasho asked the board of control to award the work, without any bidding, to building owner Greenheart Companies.

Shasho said the vault is not the building owner's property because it is within the public right-of-way. But, he also said it's the owner's responsibility since they occupy the space.

Shasho personally negotiated with Brian Angelilli, the owner of Greenheart. The proposal from Greenheart reads, “We propose to furnish all labor, tools, material, supervision, and equipment required to complete all the utility relocation as per plans and finishes…”

It also shows Greenheart agreed to relocate gas lines and meters into the basement as part of the scope of their work. 

During an interview with NTSB, Angelilli said "there [were] maybe three different times when I was down there with different city personnel and or architects and or engineers."

During those walkthroughs of the basement, Angelilli said the gas line was not discussed because "it really wasn't in the scope." 

“Unfortunately, I think that word ‘abandoned’ just kind of carried through,” said Angelilli.

Others, including Lawrence Wilson, in-house lead laborer for Greenheart Companies, agreed. 

When asked by NTSB if it was assumed the pipes were all abandoned by everyone on the tour, project superintendent Jim Carsone said the consensus was "this pipe is hanging, if you want this, go ahead and get this off the wall."

But it wasn't Greenheart, but rather a scrap crew hired by Greenheart to remove piping in exchange for whatever cash they could get for the scrap metal.

That crew consisted of scrapper Marcel Williams, along with Edward Bean and Taylor Botsford. Bean and Botsford told NTSB investigators they were  both recently released from prison and looking for steady work. 

The crew showed up to the site around 7:30 a.m. on May 28, 2024.

Bean and Botsford were in charge of moving the scrap into Williams truck, while Williams was responsible for collecting the scrap inside the vault.

Scrap metal collector Marcel Williams said he was specifically directed by Carsone to cut the gas line. 

Williams told investigators the line was supposed to be dead. 

“That's what I was told because I don't cut it,” said Williams. “And I'll never cut another one,”

Carsone told investigators he did tell Williams to cut out any of the pipes hanging from the wall. He also said he believed them to be dead, and admitted that was only an assumption. 

“Basically, just what I just said, is that if you want to get those pipes off because they’re britt;e, they’re old. They’re hanging there, get them out of there,” said Carsone.

Once Williams cut through the pressurized pipe, he immediately smelled natural gas.

The NTSB report said at 2:38 p.m., workers appeared agitated and panicked. Marcel took the elevator to the first floor, pulled the fire alarm and ran out of the building. Six minutes later, the Realty Building exploded, leaving only rubble and hanging lights where Chase Bank once stood.

“We hear a, just a huge explosion and we see debris coming from everywhere, glass is shattering, there’s smoke, dust, I can’t even see… in between Chase Bank and Huntington,” said Bean.