The Immaculate Ciccones; who did Madonna grow up with before becoming the world’s Material Girl?

Madonna is once again in the news this week, however not for positive reasons, nor for people commenting about her appearance. Sadly, it was with regards to the death of her older brother, Anthony Ciccone, who died aged 66 - the cause of death has yet to be revealed, though a Sky News report cited that he had alcohol problems throughout most of his adult life.

The relationship between Anthony Ciccone and Madonna had been fraught, with allegations of the pair no longer speaking and accusations of abusing alcohol while working - particularly during his time working at the Ciccone Vineyard and Winery, where he was reported to have been found drinking directly from the vats of fermenting wine.

In an interview in 2011, Anthony told reporters that “I’m a zero in their eyes – a non-person. I’m an embarrassment. If I froze to death, my family probably wouldn’t know or care about it for six months” and that Madonna did not care about him - with the feeling mutual.

This however also demonstrates the at-times unreliable narrator that the late Anthony Ciccone could become, as financial statements had shown that Madonna had paid for a two-month rehab treatment in Texas and regularly reached out to connect with Anthony, alongside her other brother - Martin Ciccone.

This news, coupled with Madonna’s impending tour, has led to discussions about other members of the Ciccone household, and if any of them have ever managed to equal the success of their family member, from her humble beginnings in New York, growing up in Michigan and becoming the Material Girl upon her return to the Big Apple.

Peopleworld has a quick look at the Madonna family tree - namely, the surviving family members of The House Ciccone.

Martin Ciccone

Much like Anthony, Martin Ciccone also suffered from addiction and alcohol abuse; however, the second eldest brother of Madonna managed to reverse a trend that Anthony sadly couldn’t. His experiences of attending rehab in his 50s led Martin to dedicate his life to ensuring the sobriety of others that require help overcoming their addictions - and has been working there ever since.

His decision to help others reclaim their life, he claims, has continued to support his decision to stay away from alcohol.

Paula Ciccone

Paula Ciccone looked to walk in the footsteps of her sister Madonna, but instead of looking to take the music world on instead tried her hand at becoming the biggest supermodel in the world. She started brightly, appearing on covers for Rolling Stone for example alongside several other modelling jobs.

However, nothing seemed to pan out in the long run and instead, Paula undertook an interview with Oprah Winfrey citing trauma stemming from Madonna’s success and abandonment issues while the singer was away from home.

Christopher Ciccone

Considered one of Madonna’s closest family members, Christopher joined Madonna in 1982 as a backup dancer having studied at Oakland University in their dance programme. Taking his experiences working at the La Groupe de La Place Royale, he would go on to become director of Madonna’s Blond Ambition World Tour in 1990 and again for 1993’s The Girlie Show.

Apart from working with his sister, Christopher also directed music videos for stars such as Dolly Parton and Tony Bennett. But his passion these days lies with interior design.

He began working in this field when in 1985, Madonna asked him to buy her furniture for her new apartment. In 1991, he had his first solo art show in New York, where he exhibited seventeen paintings with prices starting from $3,500.

Melanie Ciccone

Born in 1962, the youngest paternal sibling of Madonna (to her birth mother) must have picked up her sister’s knack for weaving outfits out of simple accessories and colours. Melanie, as of last writing, is currently living in Maine with her husband and now works as an entrepreneur, producing embroideries, prints, quilts with textile illustrations, and mixed media.

It’s quite the change of pace compared to Melanie’s first job, working at the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) before following in the steps of Madonna, joining Warn Records and then FAO.

Mario Ciccone

The youngest of Madonna’s siblings, Mario Ciccone decided to follow in the family’s footsteps working at Ciccone Vineyard and Winery as its manager. Much like Jennifer Ciccone, Mario has kept his private life closely guarded and little else has been penned about the step-brother of Madonna.

Jennifer Ciccone 

Much like Mario, Jennifer’s private life has been kept out of the eyes of prying media, instead preferring to keep a low profile despite her last name. What is on the public record though is that she was one of two children Madonna’s father had to his second wife - apart from that, details are pretty scant, to say the least.