MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. � Victor Cossette was sentenced to seven years in prison and 10 years probation for his role in bringing about a fire that killed two Minneapolis firefighters in March 1977. The fire occurred in Vic’s Inc., and Vic’s Corvette Parts in south Minneapolis. Cossette owned the establishments.
Arson was suspected at the time of the fire, but no one was charged with the crime. The case was reopened in 1999. Information discovered during this investigation implicated Cossette, who acknowledged that he wanted to have his business set on fire so he could collect insurance money. The individual who actually set the fire died in 1980. (Source: WCCO Channel4000.com, May 9, 2001)