SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A San Diego man who has called the city home for 75 years celebrated his 100th birthday surrounded by family at his favorite restaurant in Little Italy.
Tony Albanese marked the milestone on Friday at Filippi's Pizza Grotto, a place he's been visiting since the 1950s.
"I'm just amazed that I'm 100 years old. I still don't realize that I'm 100 years old yet," Albanese said.
At 100, Tony still has the same charm and unmistakable smile that tells you he's lived a full, joyful life.
He's a World War II veteran who joined the Navy at just 17, serving as a carpenter's mate in Saipan during some of the war's most pivotal moments.
"These were bases that were occupied by Japan. And we would take over and then turn that into an airfield and bomb Japan when we were getting ready to invade Japan, which I wanted to do. They dropped the bomb," Albanese said.
After the war, Tony came home and chose San Diego over his home in Brooklyn.
"When I came back, I found San Diego and I said that New York, they could have it. I don't want no part of New York. I always loved San Diego. San Diego has always been my heart all the time," he said.
He built a life here in San Diego, married the love of his life, his wife Vicky, and together they raised three children. He sat beside two of his daughters, Linda and Marie, during Friday's birthday celebration.
"I'm proud of his longevity and the way he's lived his life and the way he's exercised, and the way he's just been an inspiration to a lot of people," Linda Albanese said.
"I'm super proud of my dad. I remember, when I was little, that he was the hardest worker. Always has been a hard worker, great provider," Marie Dew said.
Tony has lived to see five generations: three grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren.
Tony's daughters brag about how great a swing dancer their dad is and how he volunteered at Kaiser for 20 years. At 100, he's still the healthiest man they know, drinking protein shakes every day as he has for the past 50 years.
Albanese said his one piece of advice to those wanting to reach 100 years of age: exercise.
"I used to wake up at 4 o'clock in the morning and exercise for two hours before my day. That's the reason I'm in the shape that I am," Albanese said. "From 60 years old to 90 years old, I rode my bike. I exercise so much, and I never regret one day of all the exercising that I did because it was so good," Albanese said.
According to Pew Research, there are around 100,000 centenarians worldwide.
