Thaindian News

London, Oct 23 (IANS) Pop diva Madonna’s older brother is living in penury. He says he has no roof over his head and that he makes a living by collecting bottles from the trash.

Hollywoodreproter.com reports that The Michigan Messenger published a conversation with the singer’s brother, Anthony Ciccone, who claims he has been homeless for more than a year.

“My family turned their back on me, basically, when I was having a hard time,” he said.

“You think I haven’t answered this kind of question a bazillion times — why my sister is a multibazillionarie, and I’m homeless on the street?”

The 55-year-old’s last job was at the family winery, Ciccone Vineyard & Winery in Suttons Bay, Michigan.

Reportedly his father kicked him out of the job. Since than he has slept under a local bridge and relied on a network of local churches and Goodwill Industries to survive.

Before losing his job a year and a half ago, Ciconne peddled the family collection, which at one point included five varieties of Madonna Wine.

Last winter, Ciccone suffered from frostbite on his feet.

Madonna has been named the world’s highest-earning musician by the Forbes magazine. She earned 73 million pounds in 2008.

She is also known for charity work - she adopted two children from Malawi and opened a school in that country.

In 2008, Madonna’s other sibling Christopher Ciconne, who was once Madonna’s confidant, published a tell-all book that sought to expose the other side of the singer.