Frank's 99th Birthday.  In back: John Caruso, Anthony Montaruli, Tony Montaruli; Front: Ann Caruso, Amy Rose Montaruli, Frank Caruso, Mark Montaruli

By Beth Caruso

Nov. 25, 2020: Frank Caruso, a resident of The Fountains at Rivervue in Tuckahoe, celebrated his 100th birthday on November 19th. When you ask Frank his secret to longevity, his response is simple: “One Absolut Vodka martini a day, just one, with a drop of vermouth and no fruit!”

Frank on his 100th Birthday

Prior to The Fountains, Frank and his wife of 72 years, Ann, lived in the Lawrence Park West area of Bronxville. Over the course of his life, Frank has lived under 17 US Presidents and 9 Popes and even met Pope Pius XII.

Frank was born in Detroit, Michigan. When he was nine years old, his father, a tailor and a native of Abruzzo, Italy, moved his family to the Bronx, where Frank grew up. He graduated from Theodore Roosevelt High School.

In 1942, Frank was drafted into the Army to serve in World War II and rose to the rank of Corporal. After basic training in Camp Edwards on Cape Cod, he was shipped out to North Africa, where he took part in Operation Torch. From there, he was sent to Corsica and then Italy, where he was stationed in Salerno and Naples.

Frank & Ann's wedding photo from Feb. 7, 1948

After returning home from serving overseas, Frank attended Pratt Institute, where he majored in Advertising Design. He also met a fellow Bronxite, Ann. They were married in February of 1948.

Frank went on to have a long artistic career, including working for American Can Company for over 30 years. In his retirement, Frank did graphic design work for local businesses and volunteered his artistic talents to the Church of St. Joseph in Bronxville, where he has been a long-time parishioner.

Frank loves reading fiction and non-fiction. He also likes to draw, paint, and watch old clips of The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson on YouTube.

Frank gets his biggest enjoyment spending time with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Frank and Ann had two children, the late Denise Caruso Montaruli and John Caruso, a resident of Cedar Knolls.

Denise and her husband Tony, a resident of Lawrence Park West, have three children: Anthony, a resident of Hartsdale with his wife Julie; Mark, a resident of Tarrytown with his wife Melissa, and AmyRose, who lives in Philadelphia.

John and his wife Beth have two children: Carolyn, who lives in Los Angeles, and Michael, a student at Northeastern University. The five grandchildren all attended St. Joseph School.

Even if Frank can’t see his family due to quarantining, he speaks with them almost every day. He also loves FaceTiming with his two great-grandchildren, Nicholas and Noah.

Photos courtesy the Caruso family

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