Hallandale Beach, Florida is just slightly north of Miami, and its race track, beaches, and casino are a practical oasis for senior citizens. In the latest episode of VICELAND's Balls Deep, Thomas Morton embedded himself in the town's Lake Point Towers, which provide residents a calming waterfront view and an ideal retreat into retirement.
Morton spent a relaxed week at the Towers playing bingo, going to the races, and meeting characters of all sorts; his guide was 77-year-old Bob Cantatore, Lake Point Towers's Condo Board President. Cantatore has a cream cheese-thick New York accent and a gregarious demeanor. Before becoming Condo Board President, he worked in construction in New York on projects such as the bicentennial cleanup of the Statue of Liberty—and inside Trump Tower, where he encountered the Donald himself long before he became a presidential candidate. After 58 years of marriage and a lifetime of experience, Cantatore and his 76-year-old wife Manny are still on the move as he deals with residents' queries, starts new community improvement associations, and constantly cracks jokes.
We spoke over the phone with Cantatore and his wife about life at Lake Point Towers, Thomas's entertaining visit, and their concerns regarding love and politics in modern society.
VICE: Describe a typical day for you at Lake Point.
Bob Cantatore: I'm 77 with buzzards flying around, but my everyday life is pretty busy at this age. I'm a president of a condo and I do a lot of stuff, especially since we have grandchildren and children in their 50s. I call them open stitches because they keep coming back. I really keep busy—right now, we are scooting around to the doctor's, because we gotta get these things done. My wife and I are always either babysitting or running around somewhere.
Manny Cantatore: Bob checks up on the residents in the morning between 9AM and 12PM. He's the president of the condo, so he deals with all the things that go with condo living—people coming down with rent, payments, and complaints. He's also a board member on the Hallandale Police Advisory Committee. He still keeps busy and out of the house, while I cook, clean, and take care of the children—still, at 76.
What's the best thing about Bob's job?
Manny: He's a people person. The condo has 208 unit owners and renters, and it's very family-oriented because he likes to joke around with the people and they love that. If someone doesn't say "Good morning" to him, he'll look under their face and make them say it—and then they smile and they're happy they did. That's the type of guy he is.
Bob: She's buttering me up, I hear the sugar coming. I base my life on a sense of humor.
What did you think of Thomas's experience in your community?
I spent seven days with him. We had a good time. We went to the track. We used to wake each other up in the morning. He's a perfect guy—the best man for the job, he really is. He knows how to get it out of you. He's interesting. We had a pool scene. I hope it really hits—I'm too old to go for an Oscar.
What would you say is the biggest difference between your generation and Thomas's?
Since I was 13 years old, I've been working. That's what you do if you commit and have kids. I get so freaking angry when I hear these kids talking. It annoys me. I mean, roll up your sleeves, holy Christ! Why can't you enjoy what you got, you know? I'm not talking about my daughter, and I'm not talking about you guys. It's these freakin' lazy bastard guys. They want their own life.
I feel bad for this young age, though. You're living in a world now that's tough. Cellphones, this phone, that phone, texting, smexting—every freakin' thing there is. My wife and I grew up in the 50s and we say we were better off growing up then than now. It's tough now for you. I feel bad for you, and I feel bad for my children. Your whole life is wrapped up into one thing. In our day, though, there was none of it. No cellphone. We actually had no television.
Manny: That's the big difference we find—it's not as family oriented as it was years ago. It's a different era. Times are changing. I keep saying to everybody, "Lie down for a minute. Take a deep breath." We were brought up so that you take care of who you gotta take care of, and we're still doing that. Maybe that's not the right thing, but I think it's the right thing. You can't beat a family that sticks together.
What are your thoughts on being a senior citizen in this day and age? Do you have any big concerns?
Bob: I feel like I'm still 45 years old. I'm not lying down, that's for sure. You know what's the matter, really? This Cheez Doodle. My son calls him, "Trump the Cheez Doodle." He looks like a Cheez Doodle. The concern I have is that he's making such a mockery out of the people and seniors and everybody by getting them scared stiff of what he can do. It's terrible. That man is really bad. If I got a concern, it's him. He's not going to go anywhere anyway, I know that—but I'm concerned about what happens after the election. He won't give up. He'll do something to make us get really bad.
I'm gonna tell you a fair story, kid. I was working in New York at Trump Tower in the 80s. He came in and I had my men on scaffolds, and all of a sudden I came in to check on my guys and they're not there anymore. I go to them and they say, "Oh, Trump told me to move it." I said, "Don't you ever listen to him. You listen to me." Then I saw him and I had it out with him. I said, "You don't pay me, my boss pays me, and I run the job the way I'm supposed to run the job. Don't tell me how to run my men."
All of a sudden, I get a call from my boss's office in Queens. I thought, Aw, here we go. My boss asked me to close the door, patted me on the back, and said, "Don't ever take shit from him. Thank you so much." I'm just trying to tell you what a man he is—and that doesn't frighten me. My wife and I, nothing really scares us.
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