A 97-year-old man, Vito, died at his own birthday party in Los Angeles, California, just moments after dancing to the Bee Gees song "Stayin' Alive." The incident, captured on video by a neighbor and shared on TikTok, has garnered global attention.
Vito, who was celebrating his 97th birthday with a party, had enlisted baker Eden Malinoff to create a cake for the event. Malinoff shared footage of the celebration, describing Vito as someone who "lived his life to the fullest, all the way up until his last moments." She noted his spunky personality and said, "At 24 years old, I could not keep up with this man, he was the life of the party."
The celebration took a tragic turn when Vito suddenly passed away in front of his guests. Malinoff described it as a "dramatic exit," adding that if he "could have chosen to go out it would have been like this," surrounded by loved ones and celebrating his life.
A clip from the party shows Vito, dressed in a black button-down shirt and dress pants, clapping and swaying to "Stayin' Alive" with a smile. Malinoff posted the video with the caption "RIP to an absolute legend," and it quickly went viral, accumulating over eight million views.
The video sparked a range of reactions online. Some viewers expressed shock at the circumstances of his death, while others found it fitting for his lively personality, calling him "iconic." However, some TikTok users criticized Malinoff for what they perceived as a nonchalant or even exploitative retelling of Vito's death, deeming it "dystopian" and a "new level of low in capitalism."
Malinoff responded to some comments, clarifying that Vito did indeed die at the party. A friend of Vito's also confirmed his passing, stating that he died peacefully surrounded by friends after they sang "Happy Birthday." This friend mentioned that Vito had undisclosed medical issues and passed away with his favorite music playing, calling him "a legend."