Friday, November 6, 2026
Crescenza “Chrissy” Vitagliano Oliveri has spent nearly three-quarters of a century in Cedarhurst, watching the village change while building a life centered on family, hard work and lasting friendships.
On Nov. 6, the longtime resident will celebrate her 100th birthday, marking a century that has taken her from a childhood in Far Rockaway through the Great Depression and World War II to decades of working in the Five Towns.
Born at home in Woodside on Nov. 6, 1926, Oliveri arrived as her grandmother and namesake, Crescenza, was dying in the next room. When she was 3, her family moved to Far Rockaway. Later, she adopted the legal name Corrinne because, she recalled, people thought Crescenza sounded too Italian. But to family and friends, she has always been Chrissy.
Her parents, Salvatore, who was born in Avellino, Italy, and Carmela, known as Millie, who was born in Abruzzi, raised their family in a 20-room house on 41st Street in Far Rockaway.
Summers brought families from Brooklyn who rented rooms in the house. Without television or buses, Oliveri spent much of her childhood playing outside and walking to school, including to the high school on 21st Street.
During the Great Depression, her mother opened a small restaurant out of the house. Many customers could not afford their meals, so Millie simply gave them food for free.
Oliveri remembers both parents as extraordinary people, particularly her mother’s generosity and refusal to speak badly about anyone.
World War II was among the most defining periods of her life. With family members and friends called into military service, food and gasoline became difficult to find. She remembers having just one dress and one pair of shoes.
“Nothing extra,” she said, “but we never lived without anything.”
Oliveri began her working life as a bookkeeper at Sisteen, a Cedarhurst shop. Next door, at Pohl’s Deli, she met Edward “Eddie” Oliveri. The two later reconnected at a wedding and married in 1951.
They raised two children, Christine, born in 1952, and Edward Jr., born in 1953.
Her career became closely tied to Cedarhurst’s shopping district. After working at Bunny Land, she stayed with the store when it became Bib N’ Tucker, spending 35 years there. She later worked briefly at Francel’s Children’s Clothes before joining the office of Dr. Richard Davidson, a dentist on Cedarhurst Avenue, where she remained for more than 30 years.
Her granddaughter, Krista Carlo Clancy, said her grandmother became a familiar face throughout the village.
“When I was a kid and we used to shop there, we couldn’t go one street without her running into someone she knew,” Clancy said. “She was definitely very well known.”
Clancy said Oliveri has been a role model, particularly because she built a career at a time when working outside the home was less common for women.
“I was always in awe of the fact that she was a working grandmother,” Clancy said. “She worked so hard and loved what she did.”
Today, she remains in Cedarhurst, living near the village park on Oak Avenue, where she has no plans to leave.
Clancy said she has an especially close relationship with her grandmother and continues to be amazed by her sharp memory and ability to recall details from a century of experiences.
The family will celebrate Oliveri’s milestone birthday at Lawrence Yacht & Country Club, with 55 relatives and close friends gathering in the Greenview Room.
For young people beginning their own journeys, Oliveri offers advice shaped by 100 years of experience.
“Work very hard, love what you are doing, and keep your brain alert!” she said.
