>> yes. it's like -- you don't want to mess with these people. >> because back in the 1970s if you did you would have to answer to one man. melvin reine. >> this family had sort of a grip on the town. particularly melvin reine, the patriarch of the family. he just had a hold on this community. like you wouldn't believe. he was a convicted arsonist. he had a saying he would say "i smell smoke." and that indicated to you that something was going to burn. >> reporter: even the cops were under melvin's thumb. >> one of the fires that he was convicted of was setting a car on fire. that car was in the driveway of the police chief at the time. didn't matter who you were, businessman, police, didn't matter. he would come for you.