93-year-old World War II vet scores upset election win

Bristol Herald Courier ^ | 11/8/17 | ???

[OneVike]

A 93-year-old World War II veteran scored a surprise victory over an incumbent New Jersey mayor in Tuesday's election.

Vito Perillo defeated Tinton Falls Mayor Gerald Turning in the nonpartisan municipal race.

"I didn't think I had a chance," Perillo told NJ.com .

But his grandson, Mike Perillo-Gentile, said he wasn't surprised. "When he wants to do something, he does it," Perillo-Gentile said.

Perillo, a U.S. Navy veteran who served in the Pacific theater, told the Asbury Park Press his entry into the race was spurred by a pair of whistleblower lawsuits involving the police department that cost the borough a reported $1.1 million in settlements.

Turning was the borough police chief from 2004 to 2011 and also was the borough administrator from 2010 to 2014. He was seeking his second term as mayor after running unopposed in 2014.

Turning wished Perillo well in a brief statement on Facebook.

Perillo received 53 percent of the vote to Turning's 46 percent, according to unofficial results from the Monmouth County Board of Elections.

[OneVike]

No idea what his politics are since its a non partisan position, but at 93 I tip my hat to the guy.

[txnativegop]

I would be thankful to breathing at that age. Not that I will live any where near that long.

I wish the gentleman well.

[Rebelbase]

GEORGE: You know what I do at the Yankees, when one of these old guys is breathing down my neck?

ELAINE: What?

GEORGE: You schedule a late meeting.

ELAINE: (puzzlement) Huh? What does that do?

GEORGE: These old guys, they’re up at 4 a.m., by two thirty they’re wiped.

[Kozy]

Reason they call it America’s Greatest Generation

[SaveFerris]

Look, if we’re gonna stay here until all hours of the night, can we at least get some food here?

[stormhill]

GEORGE: These old guys, they’re up at 4 a.m., by two thirty they’re wiped.

I resemble that remark!

[Enchante]

Here I am, up at 4 am !!!

I don’t know if I can last until 2:30 pm....

[FrdmLvr]

...as I read this at 4:27 am....

[FES0844]

I’m up!!

[Rastus]

---

In his first try for public office, Perillo said he ran on a platform of greater transparency and lowering the municipal tax rate. His slogan was “a full-time fiscally prudent mayor.”

He said he was partly motivated to run by a whistleblower lawsuit in town against the police department that would eventually cost the taxpayers $1.1 million, according to a report in the Asbury Park Press.

“It came out of my pocket and the residents of Tinton Falls, and I thought, ‘that’s unfair,’” he said.

---

[Dr. Sivana]

Assuming the photo is from his home, it IS decorated in the style of old Italians,

[Oratam]

I was disappointed to see his couch was not encased in custom plastic slipcovers. I suspect he’s a widower.