Bruno
Brzozowski

BRUNO BRZOZOWSKI was born in New Jersey on October 6, 1915 to John and Julia Brzozowski, both of whom were Polish immigrants. The family was living at 1929 Fillmore Street as early as 1919. His father then was working at a shipyard.

By 1927 they had moved to 1747 Master Street in the Camden's old Eighth Ward in what is today called the Centerville neighborhood. By the spring of 1933 he was living at 420 Jackson Street, also in the old Eighth Ward. His siblings included sisters Helen, Stella, and Mary, and brothers Henry, Joseph, and John. The elder Brzozowski worked at a paper mill when the 1930 census was enumerated.

Bruno Brzozowski began getting into serious trouble at a very early age. Not long after his twelfth birthday he was sent to Camden County's House of Detention for juvenile offenders for his involvement in a three-month long string of burglaries. This experience did not alter his path, and in June of 1933 he was sentenced to a term in state prison for a gas station hold-up in Gloucester County. In both efforts he was involved with one of the Pukas brothers, who grew up in the same neighborhood near South 7th Street and Central Avenue.

Bruno Brzozowski was last a resident of Lansdowne PA. He died in September of 1969.

CAMDEN COURIER-POST - January 11, 1928

3 ‘BABY BURGLARS’ ADMIT 6 ROBBERIES
12-Year-Old Boys Sent to Detention Home After Looting Stores

Three “baby burglars” stood in police court today and admitted to Judge Bertman that during the past three months they had robbed six business houses in the city. They were committed to the House of Detention without bail for their appearance in Juvenile Court.

The boys are John Pukas, 668 Central Avenue; Bruno Brzozowski, 1747 Master Street, both 12 years old, and Frank Hotel, 1845 Broadway, 10 years old. They were arrested last Saturday morning as they were forcing their way into a rear window of the Hanover Shoe Company store, 1131 Broadway. They were captured by John Campbell, a private watchman.

When the boys were taken to police headquarters and questioned by City detectives Dolan and McGrath, they admitted their life of crime began three months ago. The said they sold a large amount of their loot which amounted to several thousand dollars.

In police court they admitted breaking into the jewelry store of Samuel Windthorp, 1029 Broadway, and stealing jewelry valued at $450; the Atlantic Cotton Company, 1041 Broadway, and taking several hundred pennies out of the cash register. When they broke into the store they entered through the only window that was not equipped with a burglar alarm.

They also admitted entering the Boston Shoe Shop, 1104 Broadway, and stealing 15 pairs of shoes and $58.75 in cash. Then they confessed to breaking into the Sugar Bowl, 453 Kaighn Avenue and the Dudley Furniture Company, Broadway and Sycamore Street. In the latter place the youngsters stole a box of cigars. They also said they entered the hardware store of J.R. Leaming, 1015 Broadway, and stealing a dollar’s worth of pennies out of the cash drawer.

“The trouble with you boys is that you have been petted and pampered too much by your parents,” Judge Bertman said. “You should be committed to some institution, and I’m going to hold you without bail and send you to the House of Detention.”  

FOUR OF ROBBER BAND START SERVING TERMS

Woodbury, June 1.-The four members of Camden's "Band of Forty Thieves," who were sentenced to state prison and Rahway Reformatory last Monday by Judge J. Forman Sinnickson for a gas station robbery, were taken to the institutions today by Sheriff William A. Downer and deputies.

Albert Buondonno, 16, of 1635 Broadway; Bruno Brzozowski, 17, of 420 Jackson street, and Marino Brandemarte, 17, of 851 Van Hook Street, are to serve two to three years in prison, while Metro Pukas, 17, of 668 Central Avenue, will remain in the reformatory. C. Walter Frank, Pedricktown, sentenced to serve a similar sentence in prison for receiving stolen goods, also was taken to Trenton.

George Thompson, alias George Gaines, Swedesboro, committed to state prison a week ago for one year for larceny of an automobile, is wanted in Essex county, Virginia, according to county authorities, for escaping from a county jail there. A detainer has been lodged against him.