Anthony Bruno Death Certificate
Anthony and Minnie had five sons before Anthony died on August 6, 1926.
The circumstances of his death were quite bizarre. On the Fourth of July of that year, Anthony became very ill and was transported to the insane asylum in nearby Ransom. His diagnosis was "General Paralysis of the Insane", or GPI, a devastating and incurable psychiatric disease that was 100% fatal at the time.
According to research conducted by Rexanne Bruno, there was speculation about the cause of GPI in the late 19th century and by the early 20th century, that syphilis was discovered to be the cause. GPI symptoms (grandiose delusions, a staggering gait, tremulous voice, muscular weakness, etc.) usually occurred 20 to 30 years following exposure to syphilis. Symptoms were usually noticed by family members or friends, not the affected individual. In late stages of the disease, generally within five years of the onset of symptoms, almost all patients became demented with progressive vegetative degeneration until they died. If Anthony's case is typical, he was exposed around 1896 to 1906, so very likely before he married Minnie in late 1906.
Anthony died just one week after his 52nd birthday. The family announced that he died of a heart attack. It wasn't until 1940 and the clinical use of penicillin that the disease became treatable. He was buried at Saint John's Cemetery in Pittston. At the time, Minnie was 37 years old and her sons ranged from 6 to 20.
Note the signature of the presiding physician on the death certificate is Dr. Angle.
