A 97-year-old California man died at his own birthday party moments after dancing to the Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive” — a “dramatic exit” that the fun-loving senior would have wanted.
Los Angeles baker Eden Malinoff, 24, revealed the remarkable story of Vito, her neighbor, after throwing him a Halloween-themed 97th birthday bash last week.
Vito was seen clapping, swaying and smiling while he was dressed in a black button-down shirt and dress pants as the ‘70s disco classic played during the celebration, in footage Malinoff posted to TikTok on Monday.
The senior appeared to be having the time of his life before the celebration took a tragic turn and he suddenly died at the party — shortly after guests had sung “Happy Birthday” to him.
“This past week was Vito’s 97th brirthday and in true Vito fashion, he wanted to celebrate by throwing a Halloween birthday rager,” said Malinoff, who runs the cake and cookie business Baked.
“So of course I made him a cake. When I asked him the secret to living such a long life, he told me it was to never drink cheap liquor,” she continued, explaining that she made him a red wine chocolate cake in his honor.
The baker praised Vito for his youthful energy, saying he was a beloved member of her friend group despite being decades older than most of its members.
“If I learned one thing from Vito, it’s to never let your age stop you,” Malinoff said.
“This man lived his life to the fullest, all the way up until his last moments, quite literally. At 24 years old, I could not keep up with this man, he was the life of the party,” she continued.
Malinoff said the night took a heartbreaking turn, but Vito’s final moments were still filled with the people and music he loved.
“Unfortunately the night did not end as anticipated and Vito made a dramatic exit. But if there’s any way he could have chosen to go out it would have been like this,” she added.
“He was surrounded by people he loved, we were celebrating his long and full life, and I’m just so grateful I got to be a part of it.”
Vito’s best friend also confirmed his pal’s death on social media, saying the 97-year-old had medical issues that those around him had not realized were so serious.
“He had some medical issues that we didn’t know the severity of, and he passed away peacefully with his favorite music going,” the friend posted.
Malinoff’s tribute video has since attracted 9.5 million views on TikTok.
“RIP to an absolute legend,” she captioned the video.
@bakedsocal Replying to @Bleeblop ♬ original sound - baked
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