Age 34. 18 Forsythe Street (Roosevelt Apartments), Boston. Born (as Elvira Cedrone) on 10/06/1908, in Boston. Died of carbon monoxide poisoning (death certificate). Waitress at a Boston restaurant. Known as Vera. Also known as "Vera Ann." Subject of an odd series of post-blaze events. The Boston Post, 12/12/1942: "Last night detectives were checking a large roll of bills, wrapped in an elastic band, found in the Back Bay apartment of a waitress...on the chance that it might be the missing bankroll of one of the fire victims..." (refers to patron James "Jim" Slattery, age 41, dead). Also: "A well-known athlete [unnamed], a friend of the dead woman, is said...to have gone to her apartment...and found her handbag and the roll of bills, which he turned over to relatives." Police went to a brother (not present) of Miss Cedrone and collected a gold wrist watch of Mr. Slattery reported as stolen, released by authorities in error. Case (almost) solved: "Police revealed...that they had recovered a watch and a large sum of money that belonged to James W. Slattery...They were found at the home of a friend [of Miss Cedone] in the Back Bay" (The Boston Herald, 12/12/1942). But: "Last night, detectives stated that the automobile of the victim of the alleged looting was found parked behind the apartment house where the handbag, watch and roll of money were found" (The Boston Post, 12/12/1942). Pre-fire connection (if any) between Miss Cedrone and Mr. Slattery unknown. Was raised in Quincy, MA. Was married in 1936 (surname spelling was "Cedroni" with an "i" on her marriage title), husband John J. Yankovitz. Was granted a divorce in 1940 on the grounds of desertion, allowed to resume "maiden name" of "DeCoste" (no explanation). Shown by the surname "DeCoste" in '41 Hub street listings and on published Grove victims lists, by her birth surname "Cedrone" on her death certificate and in 1943 (posthumous) street listings. Shown as "Vera Ann DeCosta (Cedione)" [sic] on the official November 1943 Boston Committee on Public Safety master list of casualties (note wrong spellings of both surnames). Was the third eldest of ten siblings. Made news at an annual field day contest held by the Braintree, MA, Fire Department (at age 15) in 1924: "The girl who was adjudged to be the most beautiful bobbed-haired girl was Miss Vera Cedroni [sic] of West Quincy" (The Boston Sunday Globe, 9/14/1924). Parents Mr. and Mrs. Carmine and Donata (Quintiliani) Cedrone. Burial at Mount Wollaston Cemetery, Quincy, MA. A simple flat-style gravestone shows her surname as "Cedrone" (surname pronounced "Sed-RONE-nee").

‍