101-year-old former detective's secret to long life

NEW YORK (FOX5NY.COM) - At 101, Nick Calabrese is the oldest living former NYPD detective. The Detectives Endowment Association is honoring him not only for his service in the police department but also for his military service in the U.S. Army.

Nick was born in 1917 in Greenwich Village and raised in the Bronx loving the New York Yankees.  As a teenager, he was recruited by the Chicago Cubs minor league. But before he could even make it to training in Florida, Pearl Harbor was attacked and he joined the Army.

Nick fought in hand-to-hand combat in the Pacific during World War II. After wounds to his leg and nearly losing his foot, Nick was honorably discharged with a bronze medal and joined the NYPD.

Images of the war still haunt him today. He said when he lies down at night, he cries.

Nick lives at the Throggs Neck Rehab and Nursing Home in the Bronx where he is loved by the staff.

So what did he do to live to 101?

"Not to get married," he said. "I stayed single."

So there you have it.  By the way, Nick is a huge Yankees fan and would love to go to a game.