For many Dominican families in New York, the Jet Set nightclub collapse was never just a faraway tragedy. It was personal.
The Santo Domingo venue was part of a cultural world that stretched from the Dominican Republic to Washington Heights, the Bronx, Queens, Yonkers, and every New York block where merengue, family gatherings, and island memories still shape daily life.
Now, more than a year after the roof of the Jet Set nightclub collapsed during a live performance, the club’s sibling owners, Antonio and Maribel Espaillat, have been ordered to stand trial.A Dominican judge ruled that the two should face involuntary manslaughter proceedings after the April 8, 2025 disaster killed 236 people and injured more than 100 others.
What Happened at the Jet Set Nightclub in Santo Domingo
The collapse happened at the Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, during a packed late-night concert. Hundreds of people were inside the venue when the roof gave way. The tragedy quickly became one of the deadliest public disasters in the country’s recent history…