Frank Bruno, Jr.

My Estate Planning & Elder Law Story

As a child, I loved to read comic books and I especially liked the origin stories. So here is mine…

I grew up in Queens, NY to middle class parents. My father worked for the City and my mother was a stay at home mom. I have two older sisters and six nieces and nephews.

I have had three personal contacts with end of life decisions and it impacted my life and practice areas. My mom’s mom lived with us growing up. She was spirited, healthy and vibrant. She was a quiet, pleasant woman that was widowed at 49 and stayed single until her passing at 87 years old. When she worked as a seamstress in a clothing factory her nickname was Swifty Millie. Her real name was Carmella, but like she told everyone, all the Carmella’s were Millie.

At 87 years old, my grandmother, without any prior signs of being ill, discovered that she had a tumor in her belly. It was the size of a grapefruit. She had no pain but it was only days before she fell into a coma.

On the tenth day in the hospital, my mother and her sister, the only two children of Grandma Millie were discussing whether to pull the plug and remove her from life support. My aunt thought it was the right thing to do and my mother was adamant not to. There was no prior discussion and no prior thought about this situation.

I sort of remember that they had a health care proxy that gave them the authority to do so but they just didn’t know. They had no family guidance and really didn’t know what their mother’s wishes were. In a bittersweet fortunate twist, the decision was taken from them as my grandmother passed away still in a coma.

Each sister wanted to do the right thing, the humane thing, but neither really knew what that meant. I was in law school at the time and wanted to know how to remedy this dilemma.

Flash forward to 2000 — after a year of visiting doctors, having tests done, blood drawn and scans taken; by process of elimination, my father was diagnosed with ALS, Lou Gehrig’s Disease. My dad, a loving, sweet and kind man was happy that it was not Kennedy’s Disease because that is an inherited illness and this way his children would be spared from a similar fate.

I have gone through meetings, appointments, doctor’s visits, medical issues, insurance issues, hospice issues and end of life decisions with my father. He passed away leaving my mother a young widow.

My mother passed away in May 2018 from complications due to dementia. It was a failure to thrive. In 2016, at 86 years old she was vibrant, driving, going on Senior trips, playing cards and socially active. She had an energetic 86 and ½ years and then experienced a precipitous drop. There were appointments, doctors and specialist visits as her health was failing. She had cat scans, blood tests, iron infusions, vitamin b shots and a variety of measures were taken as she was not feeling well. She lived alone and aides were brought in, services were sought and ultimately community medicaid was applied for. During this period, she was brought to the hospital, brought to two different care facilities and ultimately hospice was necessary. She passed away at home in the presence of her children and grandchildren and we know that she waited for everyone to arrive before she left.

As an attorney, I reached out to so many kind and caring attorneys in the elder law field to assist and give professional wisdom. I deepened my own knowledge, I studied, I went across the country to study with the best in the elder law field. I took several different immersive trainings in Medicaid practice, elder law strategies, advanced directives, trusts and estates. I rededicated my practice to the service of issues affecting the infirm and elderly.

My Bio & Education

• Life long Queens resident.
• Product of the following Queens Schools: Our Lady of Grace Grammar School, Archbishop Molloy High School, & St. John’s University.
• Graduated New York Law School February 1995 & Passed July 1995 Bar

Professional Life

• Enlisted in the USMC and was a reservist from 1996-2000.
• Worked for a litigation firm and opened up my law office in 1997.
• I have owned a Remax Franchise, I am a licensed Real Estate Broker for more than 20 years. I am a property owner.
• I have a litigation practice opened in 1997 dealing with families, children and the elderly – the Law Offices of Frank Bruno, Jr. It is a general practice firm with an associate, several contract lawyers and three paralegals. My firm areas of interest are elder law, family law, real estate, landlord-tenant and guardianship law. I receive Court appointed assignments in guardianship, divorce and in Special Needs circumstances as a Guardian, Court Evaluator, Referee, Guardian Ad litem and Court Examiner.
• I was an adjunct Professor at Touro College.
• I have been a CLE speaker at multiple bar association events.
• I have held a number of leadership positions in several Bar Associations.

Associations and Memberships

• American Bar Association;
• New York State Bar Association, Member House of Delegates;Elder Law and Special Needs Section;
• Queens County Bar Association, President-Elect, Vice-President and Member Board of Managers, Queens County Bar Association, Chair, Bar Panels Screening Committee,
• Chair Family Court Committee, Elder Law Committee;
• National Association of Elder Law Attorneys, Guardianship Committee and Medicaid Committee;
• National Alliance of Attorneys for Alzheimer’s Planning;
• Academy of Special Needs Planners;
• Assigned Counsel Association of Queens County Family Court, Vice-President, Treasurer;
• Member of the Committee on Character and Fitness appointed by the Appellate Division, 2nd Department

My Community Involvement

• Served six years as member of Community Board 10
• Served as President of the Howard Beach Civic
• Current Charles Park Conservation Society Board Member
• Boy Scouts of America Troop #139 Steering Committee
• American Legion
• Presents Community Workshops on Elder Law Topics

Personal Life

I am married 20 years and have three children. Frankie age 18 graduate of Xavier High School and freshman at New York University; Joseph, now a Junior at Archbishop Molloy High School and Mia Grace age 12 seventh grader at Scholars Academy.

We have a chocolate lab Zoey and cat Luna.

I spend some time each day listening to music, writing, drawing and hosting a YouTube channel.

I like to read and spend time with my family.