Retired WPU Professor To Sing National Anthem At Yankee Stadium

WAYNE, NJ – A U.S. Army veteran and retired William Paterson University professor will take the field at Yankee Stadium to sing the national anthem before a game next month.

Gabe Vitalone, a 97-year-old Pompton Plains resident, said his April 19 performance will honor fallen veterans, especially his best friend and fellow Yankees fan - U.S. Marines Cpl. Joe Romano, who died on Saipan in 1944.

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The two childhood friends from Yonkers met in Boy Scouts, served together as altar boys and shared a love of the New York Yankees.

“My singing is not for me,” Vitalone said. “It’s going to be in memory of Joe and all of the servicemen who lost their lives. It’s always been tied into my adult life – the national anthem. Whenever I heard it, I would always think of my friend and any of the guys who didn’t make it.”

In mid-February, after Vitalone’s son posted a video to the Internet about his dad’s Star-Spangled dream, which garnered public and media attention, the Yankees invited Vitalone for a VIP tour of the stadium with his son and wife.

During that tour, Yankees team representatives told Vitalone his longtime dream would become a reality before team's 1:05 p.m. game against the Cincinnati Reds.

The World War II veteran, who served as a lieutenant in Patton's Third Army, admitted the thought of performing in a stadium packed with thousands of people and being watched on television by millions "is a little frightening" but also "kind of exciting."

He also said, "I’ve always been able to respond to the occasion and I’m hoping I will be true to form. I must admit, I was never this nervous giving my lectures, even when I was being evaluated."

Vitalone said he's thankful for all the support he's received and wants "everybody to share in this - my luck or success or whatever it is." He added, "I guess miracles do happen."

Vitalone spent 34 years teaching and coaching at William Paterson, starting in 1957 as a professor of health and physical education, and coach for the baseball, basketball, and, later on, cross country teams. In 1962, after completing his doctorate, he went on to teach developmental psychology on campus, according to the school.

During his time at William Paterson, Vitalone developed a program for tutoring inner-city children and taught it for 22 years in the Paterson schools. He is a member of the William Paterson University Athletic Hall of Fame, and in 2005, he was recipient of the University’s Faculty Service Award.