CLIFTON PARK, N.Y. (WTEN) — Joseph Gentiluomo, the 101-year-old New York man who invented the modern bowling ball, was inducted into the New York State Senate Veterans Hall of Fame on Monday.
They say “a mind is a terrible thing to waste,” and Gentiluomo, of Schenectady, takes that to heart. In addition to his service during World War II, the centenarian is an inventor who holds nearly 30 patents, one of them for the modern bowling ball.
His modification to earlier designs put more weight inside of the bowling ball, giving bowlers more control and more power.
“I noticed that if I put all the weight from the outside into the middle of the ball, it would create more power at the pins,” the inventor told a room full of reporters.
NY State Senator Jim Tedisco, who previously recognized Gentiluomo’s contributions to the sport of bowling, also awarded him the Liberty Medal at Monday’s ceremony.
“These are the state Senate’s highest honors for New York State citizens,” Tedisco said.
Gentiluomo’s now very-adult children recounted memories from childhood of the former GE and IBM employee, who went as far as keeping a notebook at his bedside in case an idea popped into his mind. They say he’s still going, too.
“He’s always on the computer. He’s always thinking. He’s not sitting and being a couch potato,” said daughter Diane.
“Anything broken he can come over, figure it out, and fix it,” daughter-in-law Linda said. “If it’s jewelry, if it’s a mechanical thing, he studies it — it’s amazing. His brain is totally amazing!”
Gentiluomo said the invention he takes the most pride in, however, is a mechanical hand used by NASA.
“So my invention is when you bend your wrist, it doesn’t move and you can move any finger independently whenever you wanna,” Gentiluomo explained.
As for what keeps him going?
“They all ask me what it takes to be a hundred years old. What makes you live so long?” Gentiluomo said. “I have no answer. The only thing I can say is the will to live long.”