His headquarters are in an old WWII munitions facility an hour's drive east of Los Angeles. Here he coordinates some of the grandest of fireworks shows, like the mile-wide aerial spectacle that will light up the New York City skyline tonight. Jim Souza, fourth generation pyro and CEO of Pyro Spectaculars, took a few minutes to school us on the difference between a "dud" and a "misfire," and shared some of the tricks of the trade that he stores deep in a vault in the desert.
GOOD: You guys do the Macy's 4th of July show and lots of other huge displays. How long does it take to plan one of those?
JIM SOUZA: At a minimum, a year. We are in development right now on designs and effects for the Macy's 2013 show. Working with the Macy's creative and production team we plan music, timing, sequence, effects, etc. We also do extensive testing in the California desert to be sure all of our shows—especially Macy's, largest show in the nation—gets the best and the brightest.
GOOD: Where are your fireworks from?
SOUZA: We have a network of thirteen suppliers from around the world. We go on purchasing trips in Europe, South and Central America, Asia, and, of course, North America. Most of our shells are built to our specifications in China, Japan, Portugal, Germany, and France.
GOOD: How have you seen technology advance over the course of your career?
SOUZA: More than you can imagine. We fuse the ancient art of pyrotechnics with modern technology to provide the best show in the safest manner possible. By using computers, digital signals, simulation software and other tools, we constantly improve and update our abilities. We created HD Fireworks™, the first PyroMusical™(everything fired in split-second synchronization with the musical score), the Sky Concert™ (with music broadcast city-wide and state-of-the-art communications giving us command and control of spectacular shows of ever-growing scope and magnitude). We've come a long way from grampa touching a fuse with a road flare then running like the devil!
GOOD: How often do you have duds and what happens to them?
SOUZA: Because of our extensive testing we have very few duds. Just for clarification, a dud is a shell that leaves the mortar, but does not perform properly in the sky. It may fall to the ground unexploded. A misfire is a shell that for whatever reason is left in the mortar. In both cases, consistent with our safety-first approach, and to comply with all fire safety regulations, the shell is thoroughly doused and disposed of as directed by applicable fire codes. Our pyrotechnicians and the local fire inspectors walk the entire site after the show to locate and deal with any possible duds or misfires.
GOOD: Is there such a thing as a tough crowd-you know like boos and hisses if people aren't satisfied?
I have learned that about the only time you may get some boos is if it gets dark and the fireworks haven't started.
GOOD: How did you get into the job?
SOUZA: I was born into it. We are a five-generation fireworks family. In the early 1900s my great grandfather, Manuel de Sousa, emigrated to the San Francisco Bay Area and became known as "Papagayo" (the parrot) because of the amazing bright colors he created with fireworks in the sky. His son, my grandfather, Alfred, was known as "the chemist" because he studied and understood all the formulas and expanded the family fireworks "recipe book" which I still have in a secure vault today. My dad, Bob, brought us into the modern era with an emphasis on safety and professionalism ingrained into each and every show. I guess you'd say my generation is known for innovation, creativity, and technology. I'm so proud that my sons Paul and Christopher have become the 21st Century rock stars of the industry.
GOOD: What's the most expensive fireworks show you've worked on?
SOUZA: We were proud to produce the first million dollar fireworks show thirty years ago. With some of the massive 4th of July shows, Olympic Games, Super Bowls, and "once-in-a-lifetime" shows, budgets have a way of growing. Our "once-in-a-lifetime" show last month for the Golden Gate Bridge's 75th Anniversary was truly epic. I've never been more proud. We do not release the cost of any shows.
GOOD: You guys get paid to blow things up with other people's money. Sound like a pretty good job.
It's the best job in the world. To make a living creating unique and exciting pageantry in the sky is a dream come true.
Photos courtesy of Pyro Spectaculars By Souza
Ketel Marte was brought to tears during an MLB game after facing a shameful fan taunt.
Baseball manager's poignant support for a player brought to tears after shameful fan taunt
Whether they’re expecting perfection from their favorite players or, worse, behaving callously toward opposing teams, sports fans often forget that athletes are human beings. But athletic competition has the ability to unify and uplift, even amid such painful and unpleasant encounters. Take, for example, a major-league baseball game held June 24, 2025 between the home team Chicago White Sox and visiting Arizona Diamondbacks.
A shameful low point occurred when Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte was at bat in the seventh inning. Per ESPN, a fan reportedly yelled out a comment regarding Marte’s late mother, Elpidia Valdez, who died in a 2017 car accident in the Dominican Republic. Team personnel, including manager Torey Lovullo, then requested the 22-year-old fan be ejected. (Though he was remorseful and admitted his actions were inappropriate, according to an ESPN source, he was nonetheless banned indefinitely from all MLB ballparks.) "We commend the White Sox for taking immediate action in removing the fan," the MLB said in a statement. Marte reportedly declined to comment.
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While the fan’s behavior is inexcusable, it did spark a powerful and inspiring moment. After hearing the comment, Marte was visibly upset, prompting Lovullo to walk on the field, put his arm around him, and offer some words of encouragement. "[I said,] 'I love you, and I’m with you, and we’re all together, and you’re not alone,'" Lovullo said in a post-game interview, as documented by The Rich Eisen Show. "'No matter what happens, no matter what was said or what you’re heard, that guy is an idiot.’"
According to Arizona Republic, Lovullo heard the fan’s comment but didn’t want to repeat it. “I looked right at [Marte] when I heard,” he said. “I looked right at him, and he looked at the person, as well. He put his head down and I could tell it had an immediate impact on him, for sure."
Elsewhere in the post-game interview, the manager called the moment "terrible" and reflected on why he stood up for Marte. "Fans are nasty, and fans go too far sometimes," he said. "I love my players, and I’m gonna protect them…I’ve known Ketel for nine years. He’s had some unbelievably great moments and some hardships as well and some really tough moments in his life. I know those. At the end of the day, we’re human beings, and we have emotions. I saw him hurting, and I wanted to protect him."
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The following day, the Chicago White Sox X account sent out a message in support of Marte, writing, "We’re with you" and "Baseball is family." On The Rich Eisen Show, the show's host addressed the need to eradicate this kind of toxic athlete-fan interaction: "I was hearing [people saying], 'There’s no place for this in major league baseball.' There isn’t. There’s no place for this in our society. I understand that people are saying the MLB has got to do something about this. Fans have a right to heckle players—this is something that has happened forever…But there is a line."
In another recent, depressing sports moment with a beautiful coda, let’s look to Game 7 of the NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and the eventual champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder. During the first quarter, Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton tore his right Achilles tendon—a devastating injury that could potentially sideline him for most of the 2025-2026 season. Following the game, in a lovely display of sportsmanship, Thunder point-guard and league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander went to the Pacers locker room to check on his competitor. In a press conference, he said, "You just hate to see it, in sports in general. But in this moment, my heart dropped for him. I can't imagine playing the biggest game of my life and something like that happening. It’s so unfortunate."
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