Dr. Lewis Fritts, Dr. Anthony Lanza and J. E. Begert on Louis Bellomo's Asbestosis (1940)

Four papers from September 1940 on Louis Bellomo, a 15-year employee at Johns-Manville's Manville, New Jersey, plant with weakness, a cough and marked shortness of breath. Dr. Lewis C. Fritts of J-M's Medical Department sent his X-rays to Dr. Anthony J. Lanza of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, noting that according to the Personnel Department he had had no exposure to asbestos dust. Lanza replied that "this film looks to me like a case of asbestosis," adding, "I note what you say about having had no exposure to asbestos dust but maybe this statement is not completely accurate."

What it shows

Plant manager J. E. Begert then told J. P. Woodard of J-M's Industrial Relations Department that an older employment record showed Bellomo may have been exposed to asbestos dust before 1928. "We have a Class A problem on our hands with this employee," he wrote. Bellomo was out of funds, and "when men get into this financial condition, they are easy prey for shyster attorneys," so something should be done to keep him in funds; but retiring a 47-year-old with 15 years of service would set "a rather embarrassing precedent," and "we would not dare admit that we are retiring him because of his physical ailment." Woodard answered that a health and accident insurance application would be put through.

In Johns-Manville's chronology

Johns-Manville's own chronology of what the company knew describes this document as follows:

Dr. Lewis C. Fritts (Manville plant doctor) asks Dr. A.J. Lanza (Metropolitan Life), 9/12/40, to review x-rays of a Manville plant employee, Louis Bellomo. Dr. Fritts tells Dr. Lanza that Bellomo has worked at J-M's Manville plant for 15 years, but that according to the J-M Personnel Department has had no exposure to asbestos dust. Bellomo's chief complaints are weakness, cough, and shortness of breath. Upon review of Bellomo's films, Dr. Lanza (9/17/40) diagnoses "asbestosis". "I note what you say about having had no exposure to asbestos dust but maybe this statement is not completely accurate." J.E. Begert (Manville plant manager) informs J.P. Woodard (Industrial Relations Department) 9/23/40, about the case. "We have a Class A problem on our hands with this employee." Begert notes that Bellomo is 47 years old, is beginning to draw on the Credit Corp. for money, and is not old enough for Old Age Retirement. Furthermore, ". . . we would not dare admit that we are retiring him because of his physical ailment." "It has been our experience that when men get into this financial condition, they are easy prey for shyster attorneys, and for that reason we feel something should be done to keep him in funds." Woodard writes back (9/25/40) and states that he is putting through for Bellomo an application for H & A insurance and awaits Begert's further recommendations.