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. 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.
his father was furious. so furious he threatened a local cop. you guys are going to find out how bad i am, he told the officer. i made the call and busby got his. you are the only one that knows that for sure now. years later after the statute of limitations had passed on busby s case, melvin s brother, john reine told police he was in the car the night melvin shot busby. and he says, shirley was too. i think she knew everything melvin ever did. including his first wife, the two young men who were killed and everything involved. but shirley s best friend, kathy, calls the allegations pure lies. what about those who say that shirley wasn t as innocent as some say? they re lying. that she was. they say that she was maybe an accomplice in some of melvin s actions. they re lying. they re lying.
town of falmouth, massachusetts, nearly everyone knows the name reine. is there a certain reputation that comes along with the reine name? 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 type.
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.