SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A local World War II veteran is celebrating his 103rd birthday. Joseph Gentiluomo, of Schenectady, served in Okinawa and in Korea and is a graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Among his achievements was the invention of the modern bowling ball, which puts all the weight on the inside of the ball to give bowlers more power to knock the pins down. He holds 28 patents, including for different golf balls and a mechanical hand that was used by NASA.

He was inducted into the NYS Veterans Hall of Fame in 2023.

He was married to his late wife, Ortega, for 67 years. They have two children, three grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

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