At 104, William Paterson Professor Emeritus Gabe Vitalone Shares a Century of Memories in New Autobiography

At 104 years old, Gabriel “Gabe” Vitalone, a beloved William Paterson University professor emeritus, longtime coach, and mentor to generations of Pioneers, has added another accomplishment to his remarkable life: publishing his autobiography, My Journey Through Life.

Drawing largely from notes he kept throughout his life, Vitalone takes readers on a journey spanning more than a century, from his childhood in Yonkers, New York, during the Great Depression and his service as an infantry officer in World War II to his 34-year career at William Paterson. Along the way, he offers a firsthand account of the University's evolution, the educators who shaped his own path, and the students whose lives became intertwined with his. His autobiography also recounts campus demonstrations, leadership changes, and other milestones in William Paterson's history.

Vitalone recalls a childhood of horse-drawn milk wagons and neighborhood produce peddlers, as well as the hardships of the Depression. Education was always a priority in his family. “Despite the fact that most parents had limited schooling, the emphasis at home was to ‘get an education,’” he writes.

He credits several teachers and coaches with changing the course of his life, including a sixth-grade teacher who helped him gain confidence and a high school football coach who became a lifelong mentor. Those experiences helped shape his own approach to teaching and coaching.

After graduating from Fordham University in 1944, Vitalone served as a lieutenant in General George S. Patton's Third Army during World War II. He later earned a master's degree from Springfield College and a doctoral degree at New York University. A former classmate encouraged him to apply for a physical education and assistant coaching position at what was then Paterson State Teachers College. ‘What could be better than working with future teachers?’ he recalls thinking. He joined the faculty in 1957.

At William Paterson, Vitalone coached baseball and basketball and established the institution's cross-country program in 1958, helping clear running paths through the campus woods. Among his runners was Tom Fleming ’73, who went on to win the New York City Marathon in 1973 and 1975.

Vitalone later transitioned into teacher education, chaired the Department of Elementary and Early Childhood Education, and developed an innovative tutoring program that served children in Paterson schools for 22 years. He retired in 1991 and was subsequently honored with induction into the University's Athletic Hall of Fame and its Faculty Service Award.

Perhaps most remarkable are the stories of the students whose paths crossed his own. They include Joe Clark ’60, a former cross-country runner who became the celebrated Paterson principal portrayed by Morgan Freeman in the film Lean on Me, and Joe Pistone ’65, a former basketball player who became the undercover FBI agent whose story inspired Donnie Brasco.

Yet Vitalone's influence extends far beyond famous names. Decades after his retirement, he remains close with former students and colleagues, including a loyal group affectionately known as “Gabe's guys,” who have gathered regularly for breakfast and conversation. An honorary member of William Paterson's Skull and Poniard Fraternity, Vitalone has shared copies of his autobiography with former students and fraternity members.

Skull and Poniard member Tony Coletta ’64, who played baseball for Vitalone and later became his faculty colleague at William Paterson, remembers him as an encouraging and supportive coach and mentor.

“We were playing a game in Jersey City in 1962, and the day before, I had injured my left eye. I told him, ‘Coach, I can't play. I can't see out of my left eye.’ He looked at me and said, ‘You only need one eye to hit.’ I played, and I got the winning hit,” recalls Coletta, WP professor emeritus of early childhood education. “He always had an answer that was so different and that you wouldn't expect but that saved the day. As a colleague, he gave me so many teaching tips through the years.”

My Journey Through Life is a testament to the lasting influence of teachers, mentors, and the relationships formed along the way.

Reflecting on his career in a 2022 University interview, Vitalone offered advice that echoes a central theme of his book: “Cherish the brief, treasured talks before and after class, or in chance meetings with students on campus. That is what they remember.”