'Threat to Society' Fireworks Seized from Pop-Up Tent

Police took 1,900 pounds of illegal fireworks off the streets this week, arresting a man peddling packages “Threat to Society” flaming balls and other wares from a tent in a parking lot in west suburban Melrose Park.

Vincent Saraceno, 36, of Chicago, was taken into custody Thursday in the 900 block of W. North Avenue and his goods were seized, according to the Cook County Sheriff’s Department.

“The fireworks recovered are a mass detonation hazard,” the sheriff’s department stated in a release. “If one inadvertently detonates, the explosion detonates the others. These types of fireworks should only be handled by licensed professionals.”

Saraceno was charged with possession/sale/use of fireworks, a misdemeanor.