Vito Perillo, a 97-year-old won World War
II veteran, won
reelection last week as mayor of Tinton Falls.
Perillo beat his closest challenger last week by around 300 votes,
likely becoming the oldest mayor in the United States.
“Sept. 22, it was my birthday,” says Perillo. “I
was 97 and that Wednesday I was still 97. It's just another day to me."
Perillo is also a retired
Department of Defense engineer, a retired CPA, a great-grandfather and
a nonagenarian. Now he adds two-term mayor to his impressive
resume.
“It's another job for me,” says Perillo. “I
retired three or four times, every time I retired, I couldn't stay at home. You
look in the paper, there's a job for this. I would apply and get the job."
Perillo says he won reelection because of his
accomplishments.
“I accomplished at least what I set out to do when I first ran for
mayor mainly to reduce the municipal taxes, and I know there were some
difficulty in the police department. I thought there may have been
some factions. I wanted to change the culture a little bit,” says
Perillo.
One of the mayor's biggest accomplishments was securing grant
money and opening Wardell Park, where people of all generations can enjoy the
outdoor pickleball courts.
“A woman says she
was in an automobile accident with a brain injury and when she found out about
the court, the pickleball court, she went out there and played,” says Perillo.
“She enjoyed playing not only that she got out of her doldrums, she was always
in the house and she got to meet people. She made friends with people,
and it changed her life 180 degrees.”
Perillo says he
will continue to work to cut taxes. As far as a third term, it's still
undecided. He will be 100 in 2024. He says he also credits his success to running as
an independent, being not bound to any parties except the people.