NEW YORK (PIX11) — There are 101,000 centenarians living in the United States, according to U.S. Census figures. Two of them live on Staten Island.
At 100 years old, Gloria Aquaro is still a romantic who exudes the spunk and energy of a woman half her age. Her husband Anthony, 103, says his love is just as strong for his childhood sweetheart, whom he married 80 years ago after he served in World War II.
At times, Anthony Aquaro says he has difficulty keeping up with his wife’s youthful exuberance.
In relatively good health, the Aquaros live in a Staten Island home owned by a grandson. They moved there a few years ago after having difficulty being accepted for another residence.
“They didn’t want us. They said we were too old,” Gloria Aquaro said.
Memories fill the walls of their home — photos of their son and daughter, four grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren, and tributes from the FDNY where Anthony Aquaro served for 26 years. He is the oldest living retired firefighter in New York City.
An avid Yankee fan, Anthony Aquaro dreamed of becoming a baseball player. He met his wife after winning a high school game and felt brazen enough to approach the pretty 14-year-old fan.
“I said ‘how about a little kiss,’ and she said, ‘You’re fresh, baby.’ I said ‘that’s the girl for me,’” he recalled.
Gloria Aquaro was also taken by the 16-year-old school athlete.
“He was sweet, quiet, he was great. I saw he was for me right away,” she said.
They dated and were married six years later.
After nearly 30,000 days and nights together, these centenarians act, at times, like lovesick teenagers. Anthony Aquaro maintained his secret to a long life is a good wife. He offered this advice to others:
“You can’t be the boss. There are no bosses in a marriage. There are two people together for life, and so far, we’re doing pretty good.”
Gloria also pointed out that a healthy marriage doesn’t mean you always agree.
“You think because we’re married 80 years we didn’t have differences? There were times we did want to kick each other in the (expletive). If we didn’t have a few scrapes, it would be boring,” she chuckled.
At their age, the Aquaros are living life to the fullest. Each day is as bright as the sun that showers the pavement on which they take their daily walks. They hope their successful marriage can serve as a cornerstone for others.
“Just love each other because that’s very important. You gotta have respect for each other,” Gloria Aquaro said.
After eight decades together, the Aquaros understand that falling in love is easy, but staying in love is something special. But they have something else. The sparkle in their eyes will tell you that despite their advanced years, they are still young at heart.