The Bruckners were a family of Austrian immigrants who settled in the Bronx, New York City in the early 20th century. The patriarch of the family, Karl Bruckner, was a skilled metalworker who found work in the city’s growing manufacturing industry.
Karl’s son, Robert Bruckner, was born in the Bronx in 1908 and grew up to become a successful businessman and politician. He served as a member of the New York State Assembly and was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1949.
One of Robert Bruckner’s major achievements was the construction of the Bruckner Expressway, a major highway that runs through the Bronx and connects to the New England Thruway. The highway was built in the 1950s and was named in honor of Robert Bruckner, who was instrumental in securing funding for the project.
In addition to the expressway, a major boulevard in the Bronx was also named after the Bruckner family. Bruckner Boulevard runs through the South Bronx and is a major commercial and transportation artery.
Today, the Bruckner family is remembered for their contributions to the development of the Bronx and their legacy lives on through the major infrastructure projects that bear their name.