Giovanni Ligato, who was born on 18 February 1901, died at the age of 111 years, 13 days on 2 March 2012, thus ending his approximately 2-year, 277-day reign as Italy's oldest male that began in late May 2009 upon the death of 108-year-old Carlo Dozzi, born on 25 January 1901.
Ligato, though he died in Liguria, Italy, was at the time of his death the oldest living person born in Calabria, Italy, a title he earned on 18 February 2011 upon the death of Carmela Mileo-Forciniti, aged 110 years, 0 days.
Mileo, born on 27 November 1899, had died aged 111 years, 83 days. Even with the considerably lower age represented by Ligato then, he was also the oldest person living in Liguria region, Italy, at the time of his death. His death leaves Fulvia Canale, born 10 March 1904 and aged 107 years 357 days at the time of Ligato's death, as that region's new oldest living resident.
Ligato's death as the 4th-oldest Italian male ever also leaves Giuseppe Mirabella of Sicily region as the oldest living Italian male beginning at 110 years 178 days. Mirabella, born on 6 September 1901, is the second-oldest living person from that region, behind Concetta La Rocca-Fera, born on 4 June 1901.
Mirabella, who was confirmed to be alive on 29 February 2012, is currently listed on the Gerontology Research Group's Table EE5, which records supercentenarians whose documentation for validation has not yet been completed.
At the time of his death, Ligato was the 51st-oldest living person, a rank that now passes to Olive Deschamps of Centre, France, born on 22 February 1901.
Ligato was the fourth-oldest living man at the time of his death, a honour that is now held by Shelby Harris of Illinois, United States, born on 31 March 1901.
Ligato was also the fourth-oldest resident of Italy, and the oldest living person from that country born in 1901, positions that both now pass to Concetta La Rocca.
At the time of his death, he was the 39th-oldest person to pass away in Italy, and the 47th-oldest person ever born in Italy, if the emigrant cases of eight supercentenarians older than him, one of whom is still living, is counted. He was also the 71st-oldest man on record, one day ahead of fellow Italian Domenico Minervino, who died in 1991 aged 111 years, 12 days.
Click for a report on his death in Italian.