Milestone birthday for former Valley Streamer

Marietta Capizzi lived for 30 years in Valley Stream. But for her, it was just a drop in the bucket.

Capizzi celebrated her 110th birthday last Saturday afternoon surrounded by dozens of family members who came out for the milestone. A party was held at the Sunrise Senior Living facility in Glen Cove, where she has lived for the past five years.

When she was 18, Capizzi moved to the United States from Italy. She remains the oldest living immigrant whose autobiography is on display at the Ellis Island Museum.

Born on Jan. 29, 1901, She was one of 18 children. Capizzi met her husband, Frank, and the two were married for 73 years. He lived a long life, too, dying at the age of 98 in 1995.

Capizzi and her husband had two sons who they raised in Canarsie, Brooklyn. She also has five grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchildren with two more on the way.

After living in Brooklyn for many decades, Capizzi and her husband moved to Valley Stream where they lived on Brown Street. She continued to live in her own house until she was 105, when she moved to Glen Cove. Capizzi said she enjoyed living in Valley Stream, but it was like every other place.

While in Valley Stream, Capizzi was a member of the Green Acres Senior Center, where she loved to crochet and knit. “She was one of the oldest members, if not the oldest” said Roseann Kalb, Capizzi’s granddaughter. “Everyone used to go to her for advice.”

In 2001, Capizzi celebrated her 100th birthday with a big party at Arturo’s restaurant in Floral Park. Ten years later, she set a record for the oldest birthday party ever held at Sunrise.