Second of New York triplets dies

They could switch dates mid-evening without getting caught.

They went to the same college, had the same major, played the same sports and belonged to the same fraternity.

They were so identical that even their own children had a hard time telling them apart.

In 1940 the Laino triplets were the first triplets born in the region in decades.

On Monday, the middle triplet, Nicholas D. Laino, died at age 67. The youngest triplet, Frederick Laino, died in 2006.

"Their mannerisms, their voices, their feelings were very much the same," said Nicholas F. Laino, the son of Nicholas D. Laino. "When growing up in the family as kids, we would actually get confused."

The oldest triplet, James P. Laino, lives in Michigan and a younger brother Daniel lives in Illinois, Nicholas F. Laino said.

Newspaper stories and photographs chronicled the triplets' lives since their birth Oct. 3, 1940. They earned headlines on their first day of school at Our Lady of Lourdes, on their 11th birthdays and during a winter carnival weekend at prep school.

In 1990, the Utica Observer-Dispatch wrote about their 50th birthdays.

"All three attended Manlius Military Academy, and all three graduated in 1963 from Tri-State University in Angola, Ind., with degrees in business administration. They married in order -- oldest to youngest -- and had children in order," according to the story from Sept. 30, 1990.

The triplets' story seemed to resonate with local residents, and Nicholas F. Laino often fielded questions about his quasi-famous relatives, he said.

"It was during the time of the war, and it was positive," he added about the triplets' story. "It was local, and they kind of rallied behind this Laino triplet story. … Over the years, when you run into people, it's always, 'What are the triplets doing?'"

"People would always ask me, 'Who's your dad? Which one is he? Did he marry so and so?'" the younger Nicholas Laino said.

The times when his father and brothers were together shaped some of Nicholas F. Laino's favorite childhood memories, he said. But it wasn't until he was older that he realized how special his family was. Now, he's passing the stories of the triplets down to his own children, he said.

The elder Nicholas Laino courageously battled Parkinson's disease during the last years of his life, his son said.

"To have a great father for all these years and great uncles, you can't put a price on it," Nicholas F. Laino said.