Graziosi v. Johns-Manville, Wrongful Death Suit for Michael DeMuro (1929)

Court papers from Angelina DeMuro Graziosi, administratrix of the estate of Michael DeMuro, v. Johns-Manville Corporation, begun by a summons of September 20, 1929, in the New Jersey Supreme Court for Somerset County and removed to the U.S. District Court for New Jersey (Law No. 2015), 51 pages. The complaint, by attorney Samuel Greenstone, said DeMuro worked at J-M's Manville plant in 1928 "and for several years prior thereto," inhaled asbestos fibers without warning, and died "as a result thereof" on January 14, 1929, leaving a three-year-old daughter; it asked $40,000. J-M removed the case with a bond from New York Indemnity Company and filed affidavits and a question-and-answer statement taken on December 9, 1929, from Mrs. Graziosi, his mother, through an Italian interpreter. The case was discontinued as settled on June 13, 1934.

What it shows

The statement was taken by Emil Ramer, the same investigator J-M used in the other 1929 Manville suits (Motley #738, #740, #741). Mrs. Graziosi said her son had worked in the "C" Building and then the "A" Building of the Manville factory for about ten or twelve years, with time out for army service. Like the others, this suit ended in a settlement.

In Johns-Manville's index

Johns-Manville's legal department indexed the Motley 1,000 in 1984. Its index describes this document as follows:

Various pleadings filed in Angelina DeMuro Graziosi v. J-M Corp. (Deceased: Michael DeMuro). Complaint was filed on 9/26/29 in the U.S.D.C., New Jersey. Graziosi was a textile worker at J-M's Manville plant for approximately 11 years.

Related documents

• Helen Zackwiejz v. Johns-Manville, Pleadings and Motion to Quash (1929)
• Bartus v. Johns-Manville, Pleadings and Worker's Statement Withdrawing the Suit (1929)
• John Perone v. Johns-Manville, Pleadings and Sanatorium Interview (1929)
• A. Hughes to C. L. Sager on Mrs. De Muro (1929)

About this copy

This is document 742 of the Motley 1,000, from the set the Manville Personal Injury Settlement Trust's records facility certified as true copies, pages CRMC-Motley1000-Subj-003490 to CRMC-Motley1000-Subj-003540.