A 97-year-old New Jersey man's indomitable work ethic is earning him praise and admiration from peers in his town.

Second World War veteran Bartolomeo 'Bennie' Ficeto of Edison, New Jersey, has been working a regular job virtually his entire life and refuses to stop doing so now, even though he's nearing 100 years old.

Ficeto currently bags groceries at the Stop & Shop grocery store in his community, doing four-hour shifts two days a week.

He technically retired from his job as a cosmetics company warehouse supervisor back in the 1980s, but told CBS News he's been doing odd jobs ever since because he has always loved putting in a hard day's work.

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Bartolomeo 'Bennie' Ficeto, 97, of Edison, New Jersey, bags groceries at his local Stop & Shop grocery store four hours a day, two times per week

Bennie worked as a fighter plane gunner during WWII. He flew a B-25 Mitchell bomber during missions over northern Africa and Italy against the Axis Powers of Germany and Italy

The store's manager says he tries to make Ficeto take required breaks, but the 97-year-old yells at him, saying 'Don't tell me how to work'

'Bennie's a joy, he's full of life, he's happy,' store manager Sal Marconi told ABC 7 NY.

Stop & Shop assistant manager Mike Moss said he's tried to make 'Bennie' take his mandatory 15-minute break during shifts, but Ficeto just yells at his boss, saying 'I don't want to stop. Don't tell me how to work. See the light on? That's where I'm going.'

'I don't take no breaks,' Ficeto told CBS. 'Why would I take a break when I only get to work four hours?'

Ficeto's attitude about work may have a lot to do with his time serving in the US Army Air Force during WWII.

In his youth, Bennie worked as a fighter plane gunner, flying a B-25 Mitchell bomber during missions over northern Africa and Italy against the Axis Powers of Germany and Italy.

Bartholomeo 'Bennie' Ficeto (center) and members of his 310th Bombardment Group 428th squadron during WWII. Ficeto, a gunner who flew missions on a B-25 Mitchell, was a barber and he shaved his soldiers head with the word, 'victory.'

Ficeto supposedly retired from his job as a warehouse supervisor for a cosmetics company in the 1980s, but he's been doing odd jobs ever since

Ficeto told reporters he wants to work until he drops dead

'I was scared every time I had to get into the plane. But the Lord took me back,' Ficeto said. 'The day I didn't fly, they shot my plane down. And I don't know where they went down.'

The loss of his brothers in arms seems to have stuck with Bennie throughout his life. He told reporters he isn't that old and still has all his wits about him, so doesn't plan to stop using them and will work until he drops dead, according to ABC 7.

'I get a feeling that I did something good. You can't just stand around, like an idiot. You have to have a reason to keep alive,' Ficeto said.