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Ironworker to stand trial in Gamble/Huff arson

A South Philadelphia ironworker was held for trial yesterday on arson charges in last month's fire that heavily damaged the South Broad Street offices of Gamble & Huff's Philadelphia International Records.

A South Philadelphia ironworker was held for trial yesterday on arson charges in last month's fire that heavily damaged the South Broad Street offices of Gamble & Huff's Philadelphia International Records.

Christopher Cimini, 28, was ordered to stand trial by Philadelphia Municipal Court Judge Jacquelyn Frazier-Lyde after a preliminary hearing in which a deputy fire marshal described the bizarre circumstances of Cimini's rescue at 6 a.m. Feb. 24.

Police say Cimini was heavily intoxicated after a night of drinking in Center City. A surveillance video showed him knocking and banging on the door of the building and acting intoxicated, police said.

Assistant Fire Marshal George Perez testified that when he arrived on the scene at 7:30 a.m. Feb. 24, he saw firefighters leading Cimini to paramedics after he was rescued from the third floor of the building at Broad and Spruce Streets.

"He was bleeding from both arms and agitated," Perez said. "He was yelling at paramedics that people were inside the building, that five to 10 people were inside the building."

Perez said firefighters were ordered back into the burning building, but found no one else inside.

Perez testified that the fire was set in a storeroom containing memorabilia sold in the gift shop of the celebrated recording studio, where founders Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff created the "Sound of Philadelphia" and recorded such artists as Patti LaBelle and the late Teddy Pendergrass.

No flammable "accelerant" was used to start the fire, Perez said, but the fire was purposely set.

Frazier-Lyde denied a request by Assistant District Attorney Jessalyn Gillum to increase Cimini's $25,000 bail. Defense attorney Gina Capuano argued that another judge had already reduced Cimini's bail from the original $50,000.

"He has no prior arrests, he's married with two children and a wife at home, and he works as an ironworker," Capuano said.

Frazier-Lyde did issue a stay-away order barring Cimini and his family from coming near the burned building or any Philadelphia International Record employees.

She also ordered Cimini to remain in the courtroom for at least 20 minutes while Gamble, Huff, and others were escorted out of the building in the nonpublic secure elevators.

Outside the Criminal Justice Center on Filbert Street, Gamble said he had no explanation for what happened. He said he did not know Cimini.

It will be at least a year before the company can return to the building, Gamble said, adding that investigators were still working on a final damage estimate that would run into the millions of dollars.

"There were quite a few things, many things," Gamble said, "that are irreplaceable."