Bruno A. Mazza Jr.

Bruno Mazza peacefully passed away on April 4, 2014 in Elmira, NY, after 90 years filled with class and grace. Bruno, or as they used to call him “Junior”, was surrounded by family throughout Thursday night into Friday morning at Arnot Ogden Medical Center. He continued to squeeze family members hands into the night, with his notorious grip.

Bruno was born on July 31st, 1923 in Ithaca, NY. He was the youngest of 6 children born to parents Bruno and Christina Mazza. Raised in a large, hard-working Italian family, he learned from a young age that family and work ethic were the two priorities in life. As a young man, he spent many early mornings and long hours working in the Ithaca Bakery, which was founded by his father in 1910. And while his work in the bakery was important in developing Bruno’s “365 day a year work ethic”, he knew that bakery life wasn’t for him. So he went to Syracuse University Law School to become the attorney that we all know him as today. He started practicing law in 1950; and eventually started Mazza Law Offices in 1985 with his son, Edward, and most recently his granddaughter, Christina; where he practiced every day until the day he went into the hospital. Many people joked that if you were trying to find Bruno, it wouldn’t be hard, because he was either in the office working, or out to dinner with his wife Lorraine.

Bruno and Lorraine Sweazey were married July 8, 1949. They spent the last 65 years together enjoying family time with their sons, Bruno and Edward, as well as their six grandchildren and three great grandchildren. In their younger years, Bruno and Lorraine enjoyed many trips to Las Vegas to enjoy meals and see shows like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr, and many others. These experiences shaped their lifestyle later in life, as they enjoyed eating out for dinner most nights. Bruno loved people and he loved socializing with people, because it gave him great joy to make others smile with his amazing sense of humor. He was also known to join musicians performing at restaurants to help on the piano or sing some of his favorite songs, most notably, A Closer Walk With Thee. All of Bruno’s musical skills are self taught, and learned by listening to others perform.

Bruno has been a member of the NY State Bar Association since 1950. He is also a former city court judge, and was recently honored in a special ceremony for all former judges at the Ithaca City Courthouse. In 2013 Bruno was the oldest practicing attorney in Tompkins County. Similarly, Bruno and Lorraine are two of the longest standing members of the Ithaca Country Club, after joining in 1961.

Bruno is survived by his wife, Lorraine; his sons, Bruno (Rob) and Edward; his daughter-in-law, Victoria Mazza; his grandchildren, Michael and Chelan, Jill, Christina and Wilfredo, Robert, Daniel and Michelle, Mark; and his great grandchildren, Isabella, Amila, Evelyn, and soon to be Augusta Bruno.

Bruno is predeceased by his parents, Bruno and Christina, and his five siblings, Ralph, Giovan, Domenic, Anthony, and Angelina Sorrentino.

Services in remembrance of Bruno include calling hours at Bangs Funeral Home Sunday, April 6th from 1:00-3:00 p.m.; and the funeral Monday, April 7th at St. Catherine of Siena Parish at 11:00 a.m.; with a burial to follow at Calvary Cemetery. Bruno’s family respectfully requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Jim and Juli Boeheim Foundation. Bruno is a Syracuse Alumni and an avid Syracuse Basketball fan.