Caleb Hunter has identified the 96-year-old California man who died at his Halloween-themed birthday party as Vito Justin Martinaitis, a “local legend” in West Los Angeles who spent his final moments dancing to the Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive.”
Hunter, 34, told The Post that Martinaitis named him one of his “greatest best friends” in the days before he died last month. The pair met when Martinaitis, who lived alone in Santa Monica, became neighbors with one of Hunter’s friends and quickly bonded with the much younger group.
“He was not a normal 96-year-old,” Hunter said, noting the nonagenarian went out multiple times a week and even jumped his fence a few weeks before his death. Martinaitis had lived solo since his wife died a few years ago, and Hunter believed he was in good physical health before his sudden death.
The older man’s origins traced back to Chicago, where he worked as an architect before settling in California, according to his friend. What drew the group together was mutual affection: Martinaitis told Hunter that the younger friend group made him “feel so alive.”
“He was just our best friend,” Hunter said. “We hung out with him at least a couple of times a week, either doing dinner, hanging out at his place or inviting him over, and then we would go to Mass every Sunday at 5:30. He was an amazing person.”
Hunter and LA baker Eden Malinoff organized an early 97th birthday celebration for Martinaitis on Oct. 29 at his Santa Monica home. A few dozen people attended. Martinaitis arrived in good spirits, drank some Spanish brandy, and enjoyed the attention, Hunter recalled.
Malinoff baked him a red wine chocolate cake with “Like Fine Wine” written on top. The party sang “Happy Birthday,” and Hunter played ’70s disco music. Martinaitis then danced to “Stayin’ Alive,” footage that would later spread across TikTok and other platforms.
Later in the party, Martinaitis was bopping along with the 1978 hit “Rasputin” before friends frantically stopped the gathering to check on him. Hunter called 911 immediately to report the medical emergency but declined to share specific details about the death.
Hunter revealed a potential cause of death — Martinaitis had “heart issues” and was deemed a bad candidate for a necessary procedure in the months prior. Hunter maintained he believed his friend was in good physical health otherwise.
The viral video brought complicated attention. Commenters exclaimed about Martinaitis’s vitality and the tragedy of his death following the Bee Gees’ song. Some directed anger at Malinoff for posting the video, judging it in poor taste. She has since taken down the video after receiving a wave of hate, including death threats.
His friends found his rapid posthumous fame fitting for his personality. “It was the viral video of the week worldwide during the U.S. Election,” Hunter said. “I was like, what a legend, you know?”
For Hunter, the timing carried a certain poetry. The clip captured Martinaitis’s most famous moment just minutes before his death. “He went out with a bang,” Hunter said.