Leo Karl III shakes Dante Chicatell’s hand at Dante’s 101-year birthday party at the New Canaan YMCA.
When November 24th came around last year for Dante Chicatell, so too did a local TV news crew. It’s not often a person celebrates their 100th birthday, much less someone still working, driving and in remarkably robust physical and mental health. So being the star of a segment broadcast to the tri-state area was an honor earned. He also got a feature in the Advertiser.
This year? When he turned 101, still employed at the front desk of the New Canaan YMCA and no worse for wear? He’s had to settle for just another newspaper feature.
Not that Dante much cares. A happy-go-lucky sort, he’s fully aware of his longevity accomplishment, and is as surprised as anyone that he’s lived so long.
“When I wake up every morning I ask myself, ‘What am I still doing here?’ ” he said. “I feel good. I have no pain, except for my damn knees. I’ve stayed pretty well.”
Born Nov. 24, 1913, in Stamford, Chicatell’s life has been fairly uneventful, all things considered. He enjoyed a 50-plus-year marriage to Madeline Frate Chicatell, who passed away. He has two daughters, Patricia, 76, and Sandra, 72. Until taking the job at the YMCA at age 87, his employment history consisted of working at Pitney Bowes for 10 years and for his brother’s gasoline and fuel oil business in Darien. He’s lived in Darien since getting married and moving there in 1941.
Chicatell is as baffled by his longevity as anyone. “My mother died at 58, and my father at 72,” he said. “I don’t know of anyone in my family who lived this long.”
To look at him, one would guess Chicatell to be 75, maybe 80. He says he’s never been overweight, but ask if he has longevity diet or lifestyle tips to share and he laughs.
“I spent my life drinking scotch, smoking cigars and goofing around,” he said. “I did finally give up the cigars.”
The century-plus-one man still drives, lives alone and does all his own chores, cooking and shopping. And are there many grandchildren and great-grandchildren?
“Too many,” he said, only half kidding. “Six of each. They live all over. They send me pictures on the email, or whatever you call it.”
So he uses a computer at 101?
“I got a computer,” he said. “It’s in the closet. I’m too old for that thing.”
Chicatell has only one gripe in life — his balky knees. He uses a cane, and reported that his doctor wants to operate.
“I just saw him,” noted Dante. “He said when I turned 101 he’d fix me up. I told him he could go to hell.”
After officially retiring in 1985, Chicatell soon became bored. “I wanted something to do, not just be a fly on the wall,” he said. “I knew staying active would do me good. I had a friend who worked at the New Canaan YMCA. He would tell me, ‘C’mon! c’mon! Take a job here.’ So I did. He passed on.”
So what does a 101-year-old do with his paychecks?
“Once a month my daughter and son-in-law go to the casino in Atlantic City, and I jump in the car to go gamble,” Dante said. “Whatever I make here, I give to Atlantic City.”
101-year-old Dante Chicatell celebrated his birthday with New Canaan YMCA staff members. From bottom left, Craig Panzano, Davie Cedela, Dante, Kristina Barrett, Carol Matousek, Diane Riolo, Lauren Secko, and Brendan Carney.