Tinton Falls Mayor Vito Perillo dies at age 100, New Jersey officials say

Vito Perillo, the mayor of Tinton Falls in Monmouth County, New Jersey, has died at age 100, officials say.

"It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Mayor Vito Perillo, a man of integrity, and a beloved member of our community," Tinton Falls Borough Administrator Charles Terefenko wrote in a statement.

"Deeply saddened by the passing of our nation's oldest mayor, Vito Perillo, at the age of 100. As a World War II veteran and mayor of Tinton Falls, Vito leaves behind an incredible legacy of service. Our hearts go out to his loved ones and the entire Tinton Falls community," Gov. Phil Murphy wrote in a social media post.

Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.

Starting a political career at age 93

In 2017, Perillo was elected as mayor of Tinton Falls at the age of 93, defeating the incumbent mayor, Gerald Turning, by 300 votes. Prior to his election, he had been working as an accountant.

At the time, he told CBS News New York's Cindy Hsu he was inspired to run after seeing neighbors struggle with rising tax rates.

"I thought, I got to do something about it," Perillo said.

He was elected to a second term in 2021, when he was 97 years old.

"For the past eight years, he served assiduously, always striving to do what was right for the people he represented," Terefenko wrote.

Perillo served in the Navy during World War II, alongside his brother, and later worked as an electronics engineer.