WHFD celebrates 100th birthday of Nick Peluso

Friends and relatives joined Nicholas Peluso at the White Oak Nursing Home in Woodbury last month in celebration of his 100th birthday and 70th year with the West Hempstead Fire Department.

Peluso, who was born in Hempstead on Sept. 25, 1911, was the descendant of natives of Avellino, Italy, and Messina, Sicily. He and his wife, Florence, who died in 1995 after 56 years of marriage, owned beauty shops in Hempstead and West Hempstead. Peluso was a self-taught beautician, but after closing his beauty shop, he entered what would turn out to be a 15-year career with the Roosevelt Savings Bank.

In his spare time, Peluso liked to participate in various activities. He was a 200-average bowler and spent much of his time on golf courses or officiated softball games as an umpired at Kennedy Park. Peluso was among the founders of the West Hempstead Little League, and he joined the Fire Department in 1942. He was named honorary chief in 1990 and remained an active member until 2000.

“Nick had been active in the fire department back then, when he was up in age already,” West Hempstead Fire Commissioner Ron Magarie recently told the Herald. “He did mostly fire police duties, which was directing traffic. Until he was in his 80s, he was still out there. He came in his car, would pull out his orange vest and flashlight and direct traffic for us, and make sure all the firemen, when they were working around their trucks, were safe. He was watching what was going on with the traffic.”

According to Magarie, who joined the department in 1975, Peluso “was always active … coming to alarms until he couldn’t drive any longer.”

Peluso has two sons, four grandsons and five great-grandchildren.

The Herald wishes Nick Peluso a very happy birthday!