Marine’s family to sue Sons of Boston bar after bouncer allegedly stabbed veteran to death Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base sign outside the main gate of the base. (UT File Photo/San Diego Union-Tribune/TNS)
The family of the slain Marine veteran who a Boston bouncer allegedly stabbed to death outside a city bar is getting ready to sue that pub, their lawyer announced on Thursday.
Alvaro Larrama, a 39-year-old East Boston father of four, is charged with stabbing 23-year-old U.S. Marine veteran Daniel Martinez to death outside Sons of Boston after the pair apparently got into a confrontation.
Larrama, who was working as a bouncer at the bar, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Martinez, who was in town from Illinois and out celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with a Marine Corps buddy.
The Martinez family on Thursday — “in light of this avoidable tragedy” — announced they’ll be filing a civil lawsuit in Suffolk County Superior Court against Sons of Boston.
“After reading everything that’s come out over the past 10 to 12 days, we are most certainly troubled,” attorney Thomas Flaws said during a press conference in Chicago. He noted that the bar lost its entertainment license following the fatal stabbing — and the city said the bar allowed a man to staff the door with a weapon without having a license to do so.
“The city alleges that after the stabbing, the bar did nothing to call for help for Daniel, or to catch the person who had stabbed him,” added the lawyer from Altman Nussbaum Shunnarah Trial Attorneys. “It has been reported that the assailant was allowed to re-enter the bar, clean blood off of himself and escape through the back door. These shocking allegations warrant, actually demand, further investigation.”
Once Martinez’ estate is finalized, the family will be filing a civil lawsuit against the bar.
“This lawsuit will allow us to fully investigate whether the bar could have prevented this incident,” Flaws said, later adding, “The lawsuit will give us subpoena power and require Sons of Boston to be transparent, and turn over everything they have regarding this horrific incident.”
“We will get to the bottom of this,” the lawyer said. “And we will do everything we can to ensure this type of thing never happens again by understanding how Daniel Martinez’ life could have been lost on a beautiful Saturday evening before the sun had even set.”
Martinez and his friend went to the Sons of Boston pub on Union Street, spending time inside the bar without incident. They then left and apparently got back in line to return to the bar.
While standing in line, Martinez and the bouncer appeared to get into a confrontation, according to video obtained by police. Martinez then began walking away, and Larrama allegedly chased after him. The bouncer is accused of then attacking Martinez and stabbing him to death.
Larrama went inside the bar after the stabbing, washing his hands and turning his shirt inside out. The bouncer then left the pub through the back door.
Last week, the city pulled the entertainment license for Sons of Boston, saying that the watering hole didn’t have the required “security and operations plan” when the fatal incident happened.
If the bar wants the license back, it must submit a plan, including discussion of training of security, procedures for patron interaction and de-escalation and “training on cooperating with police investigation.”
Sons of Boston could not be immediately reached for comment.
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