SCRANTON, Pa. — Music bounced off the buildings along Linden Street in downtown Scranton as folks listened to the sounds of big band music, all controlled by 99-year-old Eugene Passarella.
"It's a pleasure. And these guys are fantastic. If you guys, when you hear them, you'll know what I mean," said Gene Passarella.
The World War II veteran has been steering the wheel of the Gene Dempsey Orchestra for 47 years at La Festa Italiana.
A stage where Passarella can play his kind of music.
"He picks them out and any bad," said Passarella. "I slap him across the face. No. No,>
And for the players Gene has been a role model in more ways the one. The Purple Heart recipient has taken many of the musicians under his wing.
"It's amazing. It's absolutely amazing. It's about 53 years. I've been playing with them," said Chuck Smith.
"I'm an add-on, actually. So I'm out of the Binghamton area, but I've been fortunate to be asked back," said Dennis Martin. "So I'm, I'm really enjoying it."
"And he's still going strong. He writes all the arrangements for the band, and the guys are indebted to him," said Buckley.
And while he's not as young as he once was, Gene says his love of music, entertaining and his more than seven decades of marriage have gotten him to where he is today.
"Like today's music. I know it's, it's rock. I'm not into that, but it's their time. But this is my time, and I'm gonna do it as long as I can," said Pasarella.
Newswatch 16 was there for Eugene Passarella's 99th birthday celebration in August. To watch that story and more, head to WNEP's YouTube: