A 97-year-old man named Vito California has died shortly after dancing at his 97th birthday party.
Eden Malinoff, a 24-year-old bakery business owner in Los Angeles, organised a Halloween-themed party last week for her neighbour Vito’s birthday. On Monday, she posted a video of the event on TikTok.
The video shows popular 1970s disco music playing while Vito, wearing a black buttoned shirt and trousers, claps, sways to the beat, and smiles.
The birthday celebration was going very joyfully. Shortly after guests sang wishes to him, Vito died suddenly during the party, according to a report by the New York Post.
Malinoff said Vito had wanted to celebrate his birthday by hosting a lavish Halloween-themed party. Such an arrangement suited his personality well.
Malinoff had also baked a cake for Vito. When asked about the secret to longevity, Vito had told her never to drink cheap alcohol. Honouring his words, she made a chocolate cake using red wine.
Praising Vito’s lively nature, Malinfo said despite the large age gap, Vito was deeply cherished by his friends, adding that he taught her never to let age become an obstacle in one’s path
“Vito lived life to the fullest until his last moment, literally. I am 24 years old, yet I couldn’t keep rhythm with him. He was the life of the party,” Malinoff added.
Although the night did not end as expected, Vito’s final moments were spent alongside his loved ones and music.
“Unfortunately, the night did not end the way it was supposed to. Vito made a dramatic exit. But if he had the choice of how he wanted to leave this world, he might have chosen to go like this,” Malinoff said.
Malinoff added that Vito’s loved ones were surrounding him, celebrating his long and full life, and expressed gratitude for being present at the gathering.
Vito’s closest friend also confirmed his death on social media, noting that Vito had some physical issues, though no one around him realised they were so serious.
“He had some health issues. We didn’t realise the severity of them. He passed away peacefully while his favourite music was playing,” the friend wrote.
Malinoff’s tribute video has already been viewed over 9.5 million times on TikTok. “Tribute to a legend. Rest in peace,” she wrote in the caption.
