Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Plumber "Confesses" To Gas Siphoning Before East Village Explosion
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Apr 6, 2015
Modified Apr 6, 2015
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Getty Images
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Apr 6, 2015
Modified Apr 6, 2015
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Tenants of the buildings that were destroyed in the explosion on Second Avenue last month have blamed the landlord's illegal gas siphoning operation for the blast and fire that killed two men and injured dozens more. The landlord's attorney blamed Con Ed. Now, the Post reports that a plumber has "confessed" to setting up an illegal gas connection at the behest of the landlord's son.
According to the tabloid, the plumber claims that Michael Hrynenko, the son of landlord Maria Hrynenko, ordered him to siphon gas to the residential units above Sushi Park at 121 Second Avenue, the building where the blast originated. Sources tell the Post that investigators are still looking for physical evidence in the rubble, and "Authorities haven’t decided whether to cut a deal with the worker in exchange for his testimony or use his statement against him."
Con Ed inspected 121 Second Avenue roughly 30 minutes before the explosion occurred, and a spokesman for the utility insisted that the workers never unlocked the gas connection, called a head end. "We said no, this is a mess," the spokesman told Gothamist. "They looked at the work and said, we're going to fail you."
After the Con Ed inspectors left, Michael arrived with contractor Dilber Kukic, and went into the basement of Sushi Park; the explosion occurred shortly after. Michael was injured in the explosion, and Kukic, who was caught in a DOB bribery sting last fall, carried him out of the burning building.
Hrynenko's attorney, Thomas Curtis, told Gothamist last week that his client was too naive to break any laws.
“Maria wouldn’t do anything illegal. She’s not savvy enough to do anything illegal," Curtis said. "She was beside herself when she found out about the explosion. She thought [Michael] was dead."
According to the Post, Curtis has been replaced. "It wasn’t working out between us,” Curtis told the paper. “The whole thing is very strange. I think she’s made a mistake.”
The funeral for one of the two men killed in the explosion, 23-year-old Nicholas Figueroa, is being held tomorrow on the Upper West Side.
Tagged
con ed
east village explosion
maria hrynenko
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Central Park birders, others remember 63-year-old woman killed in park
People who said they knew her described her as an artist and a familiar presence in the Ramble.
By
Charles Lane
Published Sep 28, 2026 at 7:04 p.m. ET
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.
By
Liam Quigley
News
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.
By
Liam Quigley
New ingredient mandated for Latin American kitchen, restaurant plates in NJ
By
Arya Sundaram
A Brooklyn jail cell filled with smoke. The emergency button failed, a lawyer said.
By
Samantha Max
Crews launch tunnel machines to dig first new Hudson River rail tunnels since 1910
By
Michael Sol Warren
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .