Madonna’s Older Brother Anthony Ciccone Dead at 66

Madonna's oldest brother, Anthony Ciccone, has died.

Joe Henry, the husband of Madonna’s sister, Melanie Ciccone, went on Instagram Saturday with the news.

Melanie said, “My brother-in-law, Anthony Gerard Ciccone, exited this earthly plane last evening. I’ve known him since I was 15, in the spring of our lives in Michigan so many years now gone.”

She added, “As brother Dave Henry notes here, Anthony was a complex character; and god knows: we tangled in moments, as true brothers can. But I loved him, and understood him better than I was sometimes willing to let on."

Henry had some revealing words ...  “trouble fades,” he said, but family can still stay in tact.

Henry went on ...  “Farewell, then, brother Anthony. I want to think the god your blessed mother (and mine) believed in has her there, waiting to receive you. At least for today, no one shall dissuade me from this vision.”

Madonna and other family members were estranged from Anthony. He battled alcoholism for years and was homeless at times ... once living under a bridge. He had railed on Madonna and other family members for allegedly not caring about him.

Anthony told the Daily Mail years ago ... “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."

As for Madonna, he had harsh words ... “I never loved her in the first place, she never loved me. We never loved each other."

Anthony was 66.