Age 41. 131 Howard Street, East Braintree (Braintree), MA. Born 12/09/1900, Lewiston, ME. Died on 11/29/1942 (Sunday), at 11:25 p.m., at Boston City Hospital, burns and edema of lungs (death certificate). Grove bartender. Known as "Marty." Was working the new Broadway Lounge with bartenders Walter Reddick, age 49 (Born 1/01/1893. Died 3/11/1964, age 71. Last residence Washington, DC), injured, and William "Bubbles" Shea, age 34 (died from his burns on 2/16/1943). "In critical condition at City Hospital is Marty Breen, well known former semi-pro baseball player, who was tending bar at the club. He...had reached safety but returned to aid in rescue work" (Boston Daily Record, 11/30/1942). Observed the next day by a reporter visiting the West Roxbury (Boston), MA, home of convalescing cellar Melody Lounge bartender John Bradley, age 33 (Born 6/25/1909. Died 4/26/1982, age 72. Last residence Fort Lauderdale, FL), survived: "John W. Bradley...face and arms swathed in bandages as the result of painful burns, stifled his groans and thought only of the condition of his fellow employee and friend, 'Marty' Breen...who was severely burned" (The Boston Globe, 11/30/1942). Quincy Patriot Ledger, Quincy, MA, 12/01/1942: "Mr. Breen died at the Boston City Hospital from his injuries after lingering a day." Was the eldest of five club bartenders on duty to perish (also John "Bruno" Marchi, age 29, Paul Mikalonis "Mitchell," age 27, Vincent Preziuso, age 22, and the above Mr. Shea), five others survived. Survived by a daughter Joan, age 5. Wife former Florence M. Barron, age 44 (Born 9/21/1898, in Canada. Died 5/26/1989, age 90. Never remarried), married in 1935. Was tall and thin (WWII draft registration, February '42: 6' 0," 165 lbs.). Oldest of three Grove victims from the south shore town of Braintree (also teen patrons Carl Nelson and Henry Rivoire, both age 19). His death Sunday evening occurred within ten minutes of the exact 24-hour mark of when the fire started. Parents Mr. and Mrs. Jeremiah W. and Agnes (Harding) Breen. Burial at Mount Hope Cemetery, Lewiston, ME. One of six Grove casualties (of 490 total) interred in the state of Maine (also H. Frank Armstrong, age 29, Ensign Alonzo Hearne, Jr., U.S.N.R., age 24, Mrs. Lois Levitan, age 26, Grove service cashier Miss Katherine "Kate" Swett, age 67, and Mrs. Ethel Mae Williams, age 26). all at different locations. Middle name Bernard.

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