Let’s Meet Benny

Benito Brusco, better known as “Benny”, lives at the Manor in Sarnia. Benny has lived here for four years. Before coming to the Manor, Benny resided in Sarnia just off of Confederation Street. He moved to Sarnia in 1966 from Florence, Italy to be closer to his sister. Benny comes from a large family of 7 brothers and 3 sisters, himself being the youngest. In Italy during the second world war, Benny and his family had to hide in a bunker in Italy during the bombings, and there was a scarcity of food and water. Only being four years old at the time, Benny has many clear memories of this time.

Photo of a young Benny Brusco. (Photo provided by Benny Brusco)

In Italy, Benny worked as a truck driver as well as in a factory. Once he moved to Sarnia, he began working with his brother-in-law who was a bricklayer, and he helped to build homes. A fun fact about Benny is that him and his brother-in-law actually helped to build the Dante Club here in Sarnia. Along with working in construction, Benny also worked in housekeeping at the hospital and eventually joined the labor union where he worked for 28 years.

Benny met his wife Maria, who also lived here at the Manor, at a dance held at the Polish Hall when they were 18. They have been married for 54 years. Benny and Maria have two daughters, Adriana and Laura, who Benny is extremely proud of. He mentions they often visit and he talks with them regularly on the phone.

At the Manor, Benny enjoys keeping himself busy. He loves gardening and takes pride in it. During the summer, you can often find him walking around outside to “stay in shape” and working on his vegetable garden, filled with tomatoes, peppers, and various herbs. You may also see Benny relaxing outside with a good book, particularly ones written in Italian. Benny attributes his love of cooking to his wife Maria who “taught him everything he knows”, as she was always cooking and baking sweets. In true Italian fashion, his favourite meal to cook at the Manor in the family dining room is any and every type of pasta. He also enjoys attending pub socials to chat with staff and co elders, and the casino occasionally on Sundays.

Benny Brusco loves gardening. (Photo taken by Emily Laliberte)