Vito had been celebrating at a Halloween-themed gathering with friends shortly before his death, according to social media posts from people at the party.
LOS ANGELES — A 97-year-old California man known publicly only as Vito died during his birthday celebration shortly after he was filmed smiling, clapping and dancing to the Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive,” according to videos and accounts shared by people who attended the party.
Los Angeles baker Eden Malinoff, 24, shared footage from the Halloween-themed celebration on social media, where the unusual timing of Vito’s death quickly drew millions of views. The videos show Vito in a black shirt and pants moving to the 1977 disco hit and enjoying the gathering with friends. His full name, the exact location of the party and an official cause of death had not been made public as of Thursday.
Malinoff said Vito wanted to mark his 97th birthday with a Halloween-themed party. She made him a red wine chocolate cake after asking him about the secret to his long life. According to Malinoff, Vito jokingly told her not to drink cheap liquor. She described him as an energetic member of a social circle made up largely of people decades younger than he was.
The celebration later took an unexpected turn. Malinoff said Vito died during the gathering after spending the evening surrounded by friends. A social media account belonging to a man who identified himself as Vito’s best friend said Vito died shortly after the group sang “Happy Birthday” and had danced shortly beforehand.
The friend, identified in online posts as Caleb Turner, said Vito had medical problems whose seriousness was not fully understood by those close to him. Turner wrote that Vito died peacefully while his favorite music was playing. No medical authority or family representative had publicly released additional information about those health problems or established a specific cause of death.
Malinoff’s footage drew particular attention because one of the songs playing shortly before Vito’s death was “Stayin’ Alive,” the Bee Gees hit released during the disco era. The coincidence became a major part of the online reaction as clips from the celebration spread across TikTok and other social platforms.
Malinoff said Vito remained highly active and enthusiastic about social gatherings despite his age. In her tribute, she recalled having difficulty keeping up with him even though she was 24. She portrayed the birthday gathering as a celebration of a man who continued spending time with friends and enjoying music late in life.
The videos also prompted questions online about whether the account was genuine because of the unexpected circumstances and Malinoff’s lighthearted storytelling style. Multiple reports subsequently cited the social media comment from the person identifying himself as Vito’s best friend as confirmation of the death. Independent public records confirming Vito’s identity and cause of death were not cited in the reports reviewed Thursday.
Malinoff’s birthday videos accumulated millions of views as the story circulated internationally. Vito’s full identity and official cause of death remained undisclosed, leaving the accounts from Malinoff and his friend as the primary publicly available descriptions of what happened during his final birthday celebration.
Author note: Last updated November 5, 2026.