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Celeb News: Madonna's brother chats with The Sun
Member Since: 12/27/2010
Posts: 6,041
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Madonna's brother chats with The Sun
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On Tuesday we revealed how the 55-year-old is living rough under a bridge in his home state of Michigan — while his superstar sibling enjoys a £400million lifestyle.
But according to Anthony his sister — one of the world's most famous women, who could buy him a mansion without a second thought — isn't interested in rescuing him from his troubled situation.
He said: "How did I end up here? Ask my family."
His nicotine-stained hands shook as he lit a cigarette before continuing: "I haven't had anything to do with Madonna in years. I doubt if she cares about my predicament.
"The only reason people seem to care about me is who my sister is. I know I could tell stories about her but I won't. She wants nothing to do with me. She has her life."
Surrounded by empty beer cans and soggy old blankets beside the river in Traverse City, Anthony looked like a weather-beaten pensioner with his straggly white beard and ruddy face. He added: "Being homeless is hard but I've got nowhere else to go. I used to live in Manhattan, in the East Village.
"Then I went to Hollywood to work as a carpenter in the movies. Then I came back here to Michigan to work for our father's vineyard — and it all went wrong.
"I'm the eldest and I'm what I call the red-headed stepchild — that's an American expression for an unwanted kid. The black sheep of the family, if you like."
"A year or so ago my father ordered me out. I had nowhere else to go. I have an ex-partner and a son out in the Midwest who I haven't seen in years. And although I am the eldest of eight children, my siblings don't want to know."
Madonna, 53, was a fresh-faced 26-year-old when her first smash hit, Holiday, reached No 6 in the UK charts in 1984.
Since then she has sold more than 300million records worldwide and is estimated to be worth more than £400million. But Anthony insists he won't be asking her for a handout.
He said: "I am not going to ask Madonna for anything. Why would I? We had little to do with each other, even in the 1980s when I was in New York and she moved there to find fame and fortune."
Madonna has spoken in the past about the pain of losing her mother — also called Madonna — to breast cancer in 1963 and how she and her siblings, including Anthony, had struggled to cope.
Their father, Silvio, later married the family's housekeeper, Joan Gustafson, and went on to have two more children, Jennifer and Mario.
Silvio is now in charge of the family's vineyard on Michigan's picturesque Leelanau peninsula, from which Anthony was fired last year.
He added: "This area of Michigan is beautiful. It's the cherry capital of America.
"The homeless have gravitated to it because local churches provide food and you can sleep in the lobby of the local jail when it's cold.
"The police directed me to this river bridge. It's out of the way — the tourists can't see us hidden down here. But it is rough.
"I've seen people get thrown in the river. The native Americans get drunk and start fights.
"I fell in the river once. I slipped on ice and cracked my head open. I was rescued by a cop.
"Last winter I got frostbite on my toes. The pain is excruciating but luckily I got treatment. I have a friend who lost all ten toes to frostbite. Now he gets about with a cane — he can just about walk. And he's still homeless. I saw him at the church for breakfast this morning.
"People have died out here of hypothermia. Of course, given the chance I wouldn't be out here but I don't really have a choice.
"In Manhattan I had a rent-controlled apartment in Alphabet City. It was a s***hole but it only cost $300 (£190) a month.
"I was a carpenter and I wanted to work on the movies, so I moved to Hollywood. I did videos, commercials, the odd TV and film show. But I never worked with Madonna on anything. She didn't ask me.
"People said I should be in front of the cameras but I never did it. Should have done really."
Then, egged on by his vagrant pal Michael — a man in his 30s with purple hair and a stutter — Anthony started singing.
Avoiding Madonna songs, he warbled She's Not There, the 1964 hit by British group The Zombies — which ironically includes the line, "It's too late to say you're sorry".
Anthony's average day begins when the homeless are ordered out of Traverse City jail at 7am. He usually wanders the streets until 8.30am, when the Methodist church serves breakfast to the hungry.
He chats to pals, pops out constantly to smoke roll-up cigarettes and to cadge whatever money he can to buy strong beer.
By 11am he descends the broken wooden steps to the river bank and makes his way to the pile of old clothes and blankets left by other homeless people.
Waving his arms at the filthy bundle of rags and quilts he said: "In the summer months we all sleep here. It's not great but I don't have any choice. The police are OK but the powers in this town want us gone. They think we put off the tourists.
"If it wasn't for the tourism, this place would be Bumf***, Iowa, and nobody would care."
Asked if he would like a warming cup of coffee, Anthony said: "No, I want another beer." It was still not even lunchtime.
Madonna's dad Silvio, 80, and stepmum Joan now run Ciccone Vineyard in picturesque Suttons Bay, seven miles from Traverse City, selling Madonna-branded wine.
Youngest son Mario is in charge of operations but Silvio still oversees much of the work.
The area is known as Lake Country. It borders Lake Michigan and is home to around 20 vineyards.
Business owners in Traverse City told The Sun that Madonna's family had done everything they could to help Anthony before ordering him off the vineyard.
Locals branded him a "druggie" but his homeless pal insisted he had kicked the habit and now relies on booze to get through the day.
Jerilyn DeBoer, who runs Cousin Jenny's Cornish Pasty, a British-themed café yards from the bridge where Anthony hangs out, said: "The family have tried but there's nothing more they can do."
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Source: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...o-with-me.html
Looks like someone's taking the story and running with it.
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Member Since: 10/8/2009
Posts: 35,527
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Member Since: 12/27/2010
Posts: 6,041
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Quote:
Originally posted by PopBoi
Bye.
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Member Since: 8/10/2010
Posts: 4,708
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Stupid junkie, he just want's the money.
Karma is a bitch.
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Banned
Member Since: 10/19/2010
Posts: 3,105
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OMG, poor man, that is so horrible. They should pay him at least a hotel room and food, if they don't want to give him money. People in America are so selfish, this would never happen in Europe 
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Member Since: 11/4/2006
Posts: 37,808
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Alright now he just wants some attention. Why is he coming out now?
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Member Since: 11/18/2010
Posts: 33,622
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Quote:
Originally posted by ririlurker
OMG, poor man, that is so horrible. They should pay him at least a hotel room and food, if they don't want to give him money. People in America are so selfish, this would never happen in Europe |
Just because his sister is rich, doesn't mean she has to help him out. 
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Banned
Member Since: 10/19/2010
Posts: 3,105
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Quote:
Originally posted by Fireman25
Alright now he just wants some attention. Why is he coming out now?
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he does not want attention, they are looking for him for interviews. People you are messed up 
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Banned
Member Since: 10/19/2010
Posts: 3,105
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Quote:
Originally posted by Hollywood
Just because his sister is rich, doesn't mean she has to help him out. |
but how can she live well knowing her sibling lives that way? How can she sleep at night knowing with spare change for her he could be living in a mansion?
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Member Since: 3/23/2011
Posts: 4,436
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Just WOW at her star power. The only one SHINES in this photo!
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Member Since: 11/18/2010
Posts: 33,622
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Quote:
Originally posted by ririlurker
but how can she live well knowing her sibling lives that way? How can she sleep at night knowing with spare change for her he could be living in a mansion?
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I believe her family has tried to help him on several occasions, but he needs to also help himself. Its basically his fault he ended up living on the streets. Not Madonna's.
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Member Since: 9/13/2011
Posts: 7,912
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I find it hilarious that Madonna stans are goin out of their way to prove this guy is a drug addict just to justify Madonna not helping him. 
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Member Since: 10/9/2008
Posts: 9,835
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Quote:
Originally posted by IWasHere
I find it hilarious that Madonna stans are goin out of their way to prove this guy is a drug addict just to justify Madonna not helping him. |
UpNorthLive spoke with a close family friend and employee of Ciccone Vineyard about the media attention.
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"He has had multiple opportunities and we have done so many things and committed so many resources to get him help. We've done so much over the past 15 years and attempted to help him but he has done nothing to help himself. There is nothing more we or anyone else can do. He is where he is because of himself," explained the family friend. "He has had more help than 95 percent of the people out there, there is nothing more we can do." The family friend went on to say, "Anthony will take this media attention as far as he can."
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Member Since: 8/10/2010
Posts: 9,489
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Quote:
Originally posted by IWasHere
I find it hilarious that Madonna stans are goin out of their way to prove this guy is a drug addict just to justify Madonna not helping him. |
Girl...they've helped him SEVERAL times. Do you not read???
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Member Since: 12/27/2010
Posts: 6,041
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Quote:
Originally posted by Ouz
Just WOW at her star power. The only one SHINES in this photo!
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I was about to say. Look at that bad bitch. She was destined for greatness.
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Member Since: 6/15/2011
Posts: 41,028
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Quote:
Originally posted by IWasHere
I find it hilarious that Madonna stans are goin out of their way to prove this guy is a drug addict just to justify Madonna not helping him. |
It's more hilarious how other stans decide to believe this random guy so they can have a reason to drag her.
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