The nation is divided, we are told! It has never been this bad before, we are led to believe..
A flashback in the true crime annals of Skooky Things reveals that maybe today’s division is less extreme than we have come to believe. At least compared to what occurred previously.
The eve of election day, November 5, 1934, a political feud in the coal mining town erupted into violence. Five died, and dozens were injured in an event that would forever become known as the “Kelayres Massacre.”
Kelayres, Pennsylvania is a census-designated place in Kline Township, Schuylkill County on Broad Mountain just west of McAdoo. Latest census numbers have the town’s population registering around 500.
Back in 1934 it was more than double today’s numbers.
Democrats and Republicans both held rallies that November 5 night.
The Republican rally was small, held in the pool hall of the party’s local leader, Joe Bruno.
MEET BIG JOE
Joe Bruno had a great name for his age: He was known as “Big Joe.” Nothing says political crime boss than a name like Big Joe.
Big Joe was the son of Italian immigrants had controlled the town for more than a quarter of a century through such influential posts as school board president, justice of the peace, and county detective.
His relatives held government jobs — tax collectors, bank officials, teachers, and truant officers. There was a Bruno School, and the school buses were stored and serviced in garages owned by the family.
It was the perfect super villain of the 1930s coal town world. What Big Joe wanted, Big Joe got.
Though he had a name of grand machismo, his image looked more like a nerdy doctor:
COAT TAILS OF FDR TURN RED
Flashback to 1934: Democrats nationwide were ready for a grand entrance into post Great Depression and now New Deal America. Franklin Roosevelt would go on to win the November 6th election, and local Democrats in Kelyares were happily celebrating the “happy days being here again,” as the political song of its time went.
During the November 5 election-eve parade in town held by Democrats, many insults were hurled towards the once powerful Big Joe. His power waning, the writing was on the wall, Democrats would soon cling to power within hours..
Big Joe was not amused by the sudden misfortunes of his political party.
Democrats were fired on by multiple shooters during the event. The bloody attack would leave 5 dead and many others injured.. the shots were coming from Joe Bruno’s home. According to reports at the time, the Hazleton State Hospital would receive up to 14 more patients that were injured as a result of the shooting rampage.
Newspapers splashed the headlines in hot special editions.. Nationwide attention turned to he small Schuylkill County town.
Other rags, such as the New York DAILY NEWS, would initially name the attack the “ballot massacre.”
Eventually the murderous rampage was associated with the town and it would be historically named the Kelayes masscare.. Rightfully so.
the Mauch Chunk news would publish the names of 3 dead and others injured. Two more among the injured would die days later in Hazleton hospital:
While in custody, Bruno and others arrested were allowed to wear ordinary clothing, take food deliveries, they had their own cell keys, they were not kept to hours, and visitors were unsupervised.
Bruno himself was a prison trustee. Locals called the prison the “Bruno Hotel”
AFTERMATH AND ESCAPE
Political leaders across Pennsylvania spoke out to condemn the politically motivated terror attacks in Kelrayes, PA.
Big Joe and some family members were arrested and charged in the attack with first degree murder. While in Schuylkill County Prison, it would become apparent that Big Joe was permitted to have any visitors he wanted and his prison sentence was lenient…
Eventually, he was sentenced to life in prison on first-degree murder charges, but before being transferred to Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia in 1936, he escaped to New York City and was in hiding for eight months!
The headlines were as big as those the day of the masscare, as seen here in the INTELLIGENCER JOURNAL in Lancaster:
So how did Big Joe fly the coup? A trip to the dentist helped!
As the AP at the time reported, Bruno was on the way to the dentist when he fled guards. Then Attorney General Charles Margiotto said that Bruno’s escape was done with the help of a “well-planned conspiracy” that included certain public officials and others. There were immediate questions as to why Bruno was being kept in county jail in Pottsville instead of being moved to a higher security prison. What made the escape even more interesting to say the least is that guards did not notify others in the jail that it occurred for up to 5 hours.
The two major newspapers of Pottsville at the time, the Republican and the Journal, both blamed political conspiracy for the escape:
Months after his planned escape, he was caught in New York.
When police found him, he was 20 pounds heavier. His brown hair was died black. He grew a mustache and dyed it black to match his new mane color. Big Joe.. had gotten bigger.
He was living on 75th St under a new name: Frank Brown.
This is how cops nabbed Big Frank and eventually realized it was Big Joe, as reported by the Standard SENTINEL in Hazleton:
Eventually after prison time, Bruno and his brother were awarded parole.
It was said that Bruno arrived back to Kelrayes after release. He was given a “Cold reception.” He died in 1951..
And the rest… would be history.
