In a phone interview on Thursday, Criscione, a resident at Chautauqua Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, told the OBSERVER, “Hundreds of people ask me what my secret it is. I just don’t know what to tell people! My parents came from Italy, and all they used over there was extra virgin olive oil. They came here, and they did the same thing — shipped it in from California. We kids used it, and we all still use it!”

Criscione also believes that her many years of health stem from a life-long value of hard work. She was born in 1920 to Charles and Bertha Millonzi, who raised their nine children in Portland. “I lived on a farm, you know,” said Criscione. “I was walking all the time! We were up at 6 a.m. picking berries, grapes or tomatoes. I’d lift all the hampers full of these after we picked. I did all the heavy lifting because at the end, it was only my dad and I because the others were grown up and married. I did that for as long as I was at the farm.”

Criscione is the second youngest of nine children, though she grew up with only seven siblings. “We did lose a brother to the Spanish Flu,” said Criscione, who said that she’s been thinking about this lately, as COVID-19 reminds her of that deadly influenza pandemic from 1918 to 1920. “Anthony was six and a half years old. All of the doctors were at war, and there was no medicine. So I grew up with only three brothers, and there were five of us girls.”

Experts say the COVID-19 pandemic is the worst global crisis since World War II. Criscione said she understands why, given the fear and isolation. “I remember when there were blackouts and everybody had to stay inside and have their lights out,” she recalled. “Someone from the streets would go around with a flashlight to make sure. When the war did end, we all went to church and thanked God for ending the war.”

Mamie Criscione is pictured here at the age of 73 in Gunnard's Drug Store in Westfield, where she worked for 50 years. This photo was published in the OBSERVER on Aug. 28, 1993 when Criscione was celebrating 40 years working at the iconic Main Street drug store.

While she did not meet her husband until after the war ended, Criscione said Joseph Criscione, whom she met on a blind date, served in World War II during the Battle of the Bulge. The two were married at St. Patrick’s Church in Brocton on April 30, 1949 and celebrated 50 years of marriage before he passed away.

Their three daughters are Kathy Costanza of West Seneca, Joanne Polito of Fredonia and Carol Tully, formerly of Rochester, who now lives in Florida. Criscione has five grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

“In 1953, my brother-in-law asked me if I would like a job,” she recalled. “I said sure! I worked as a clerk at Gunnard’s Drug Store for 50 years.”

Indeed, Criscione was featured in a “People in Profile” story in the OBSERVER on Aug. 28, 1993 in celebration of 40 years on the job. “I was always helpful to anybody,” she said. “I’d smile, ask if they wanted help, hold their babies to let them shop. I was like an icon on Main Street! Everybody knew me, but I was just myself. It’s just in my nature to be helpful.”

Although no one is traveling much these days, Criscione said she is grateful that she’s had many opportunities to do so throughout her life. She’s enjoyed visiting family in California, Florida, Georgia and various places along the East Coast. In 1993, she told the OBSERVER that she had a “burning desire” to go to Italy, and even had her passport ready, but the trip was canceled. Since then, however, Criscione has visited Italy not once, but twice.

“My boss took me to Italy for three weeks,” she explained. “We started at the Swiss border and went all the way down to the boot, which is Palermo where my family is from.” Though Criscione did not meet anyone who knew either of her parents, she was shown the church her father was baptized in and the street where he grew up. Criscione’s second trip to Italy was part of a cruise she took with her granddaughter, and they also traveled to France and Spain.

For the past two years, Criscione has been a resident at CNRC, and she lived at Fredonia Place for three years before that. She said that it’s been challenging to be isolated from her family during this time and to have someone other than her daughter Joanne doing her laundry. “I visited Mom just about every day, and I always took her laundry home to wash,” Polito told the OBSERVER. “It’s sad that I can’t see her. I just really miss her.”

Originally, Polito and her sisters had planned a large family birthday celebration at the Beaver Club this weekend, but it was canceled due to COVID-19. “There were going to be around 75 people from all over the country there,” she said. “But they’ll be doing a little celebration for her at the home, and I’m dropping off cupcakes at the outer door.”

Criscione is looking forward to celebrating with her local family members as soon as the COVID-19 restrictions are lifted. In the meantime, she has been doing Facetime calls with her family and is looking forward to doing this on her birthday.

“If you could see her, she does not look 100 at all,” Polito told the OBSERVER. “Her skin is flawless! She has a wheelchair and uses a walker, but she’s in good health otherwise. She’s amazing.”

Birthday cards can be sent to Mamie Criscione at Chautauqua Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, 10836 Temple Road, Dunkirk, NY 14048.