Key Takeaways
- California resident Vito celebrated his 97th birthday with a Halloween-themed party and danced to the Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive" before dying later that night.
- His neighbor, 24-year-old baker Eden Malinoff, threw the party and remembered him as "the life of the party," surrounded by people he loved.
- Caleb Turner, who identified himself as Vito's best friend, said Vito had medical issues and died peacefully after guests sang "Happy Birthday," with his favorite music playing.
A 97-year-old California man has died unexpectedly after dancing to Bee Gees' 1977 hit "Stayin' Alive" at his birthday party.
According to The New York Post, the story was shared by the man's neighbor, 24-year-old Los Angeles baker Eden Malinoff, who threw him the party. The man, Vito, held a "Halloween birthday rager," as Malinoff recalled.
In a since-deleted TikTok post, the man was seen swaying along to "Stayin’ Alive" hours before he died. As Malinoff shared in the video, Vito gave her advice on prolonging her life, including "to never drink cheap liquor," which inspired her to bake him "a red wine chocolate cake that sat on top like fine wine."
"At 24 years old, I honestly could not keep up with this man," Malinoff said. "He was the life of the party, and unfortunately the night did not end as anticipated."
The baker added that Vito "made a dramatic exit" but "was surrounded by people he loved." "We were celebrating his long and full life, and I am just so grateful that I got to be a part of it," she said.
Caleb Turner, who identified himself as Vito's best friend, confirmed the death in the comments of Malinoff's Instagram video, per Globe (via Yahoo).
"He did pass away that night surrounded by his best friends just after we sang him happy birthday," Turner wrote. "He got a good dance in right before. It was an amazing birthday party."
The man added that Vito "had some medical issues that we didn't know the severity of, and he passed away peacefully with his favorite music going."
