Bruno Reitano was born in Italy in 1884. He emigrated to the United States in the early twentieth century and began a successful business career in Pittsburg and Baltimore. His doctor encouraged him to go to Florida and soak in the Gulf of Mexico to treat his arthritis. When Reitano saw Pass-A-Grille Beach, he relocated with his wife and three daughters and built the Keystone Hotel, naming it after the place he first experienced success in America: Pennsylvania, the “Keystone State.” Reitano completed construction of the concrete block hotel in 1945. His craftsmanship and attention to detail are evident in the hardwood floors he laid that still grace a handful of rooms. The Keystone has been a family-owned hotel, operated by the Reitano family, including Bruno, his wife, daughters, and particularly his youngest daughter, Mary Falkenstein. After Bruno Reitano passed away in 1964, his daughter, Mary, managed the property for over 50 years. After Mary’s death in 2020, her daughter, Mary Jo, took over the hotel, continuing the family tradition of hospitality.
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.