Vincent Mainiero Joins the Fight Against Cancer

Vincent Mainiero

You don't need to be a millionaire in order to make a real difference in the world. Take Vincent America Mainiero, for example.

He was born during the depression in Bridgeport, Connecticut, the youngest of nine children. Money was scarce. Vincent's father worked seven days a week to make sure they had the best food and clothing—but there was nothing left over for toys.

Times weren't easy. In fact, Vincent could not have afforded college if it weren't for one of his older sisters, a successful fashion designer in New York City.

"She paid for three years of college for me. She was a real inspiration—a single woman, who didn't have to do that," he says. When Vincent started working after graduating from Tufts University and serving in the U.S. Counterintelligence Corps in Japan for two years, he paid her back in full-—with a sizable amount of interest.

Those tough days probably explain why Vincent's lifelong habit of saving started early.

"I remember how someone from the bank came to our third grade class and taught us about saving. From then on, every nickel I got went into the bank. I've always been a person that saved all the time."

15 Reasons to Care About Curing Cancer

Decades later, long retired from a satisfying career in the newspaper business, public relations, and civil rights investigation, Vincent decided to use his savings to make a real difference for people suffering from cancer.

He has at least 15 excellent reasons to feel passionate about finding a cure: there have been 15 cases of cancer in his family, including his mother and father. Six family members—including Vincent's father who suffered from prostate cancer—died from the disease.

Vincent and his three brothers were all stricken with prostate cancer. "When you think of 15 people in one blood line—it's unbelievable," he says.

So Vincent set up a bequest. "In my will, I specified that a certain percentage of my assets will go to Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale New Haven," says Vincent. "We were hit so badly with cancer in our family, and I wanted someplace that does research in addition to taking wonderful care of patients."

You don't need to be wealthy to have an impact on people's lives. You can be like Vincent—a smart guy who saved his money and who knows what's important. "Spending money on something like a fancy stereo system is just not important to me," says Vincent. "I choose to spend my money on the things I care deeply about."

For Vincent, the choice is obvious. "I just hope my gift will help others avoid the suffering that we've been through. Cancer is a scourge. Any little gift—whatever anyone can do—is so important."