Bassist Jerry Bruno (January 10, 1920 – June 22, 2020) graduated at the age of 100. He was born in Rochester, New York into a family filled with great music.
Jerry served in the Pacific from February 1942 until November 1945. He volunteered for the 77th Division band with Eddie Zandy - trumpeter in the Ina Ray Hutton band. Calling it the biggest mistake of his life, they were assigned tasks preventing them from playing for over 2 years. After the big push, and the occupation in Hokkaido they got their instruments back and came home.
Jerry didn’t miss a beat. His first gig was with Louis Prima who needed a bass player in Rochester for one night. Next he joined pianist Joe “Coon” Sanders’ band in Chicago for over a year. He left that band to go with Louis Prima and Keely Smith until 1947. On the last gig with Prima at his hotel - The Capitol in NYC, he ran into Nick DeMaio who told him that Vaughn Monroe, playing in the Carnival Ballroom that night needed a bass player. Jerry sat in, he got the gig. He embarked on the bus with Vaughn for 5 years until 1953. It was here that he met his life’s best friend - Don Costa. Bucky Pizzarelli was the guitarist, the arranger was the great Marion Evans! All three were instant friends for life!
Bruno, Costa and Evans all lived on W.45th Street in NYC in the same building until 1957. Vaughn had union issues and asked Jerry to get
