At 91, Citi Field's Oldest Usher Has Witnessed All Of Mets' Glory
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Luke Gasparre knows a thing or two about the Mets digging themselves into a hole.
At 91 years young, he's seen pretty much everything, working five decades as an usher at Mets games.
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"They're yelling. Oh my God! Sometimes you don't hear yourself talking," he described to CBS2's Andrea Grymes.
Gasparre, the oldest usher at Citi Field, started way back when Shea Stadium first opened in 1964, never imagining he'd stay this long.
"I do (love it), just to be among people," he said. "It's great. It's fun."
Gasparre, of Astoria, Queens, began working as an usher as a second job to make some extra money on the side to support his wife and children. Fifty-two years later, the Purple Heart, Bronze Star and Battle of the Bulge Army veteran is still going strong. These days, he holds down the fort in Section 310, the Excelsior level.
He has witnessed the team's biggest moments, including the 1969 and 1986 World Series wins.
Gasparre will be at Citi Field working again this weekend in his usual section, hoping for some more wins. The Mets trail the Royals 2-0 as the World Series moves to Queens on Friday.
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"We have faith," he said.
"Yogi Berra said, 'It ain't over till it's over.'"
The Mets don't quit, and neither does Gasparre.
"People are telling me, 'When are you going to retire?' I say the boss is up above," he said. "He's the one to tell me. No one else is going to tell me."
