brother, which they called "Ponticelli Frères" ("Ponticelli Brothers"). Located in the 13th arrondissement of Paris, it became profitable and well known in its field. It was incorporated as a private limited company in 1932, when its primary work was with industrial chimneys. During the Second World War, Ponticelli, who became a French citizen in 1939, was too old for combat but supported the war effort by supplying soldiers with his products. He moved his factory into the Zone libre (unoccupied zone) after Germany invaded and occupied northern France. After Vichy France was taken over by the Germans, he returned northwards and began working with the Resistance. In the aftermath of World War II, he added a piping department to his company. He continued managing the company until his retirement in 1960. At the time of his death it was reported that the company had 4,000 employees and its annual revenue (2005) was €300 million. The company now operates in several countries outside France, such as Angola. Later life Until his death, Ponticelli lived with his daughter in the Paris suburb of Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, and every 11 November until 2007 he attended Armistice Day ceremonies. An honored citizen of his adopted town, Ponticelli voted in the 2007 presidential and legislative elections. He officially became a supercentenarian on 24 December 2007, celebrating his official 110th birthday at the National History of Immigration Museum. He kept his war medals in a shoebox. When originally offered a state funeral by then French President Jacques Chirac, Ponticelli asserted that he did not want one, although the death of the penultimate recognized soldier, Louis de Cazenave, on 20 January 2008 caused him to reconsider. He eventually accepted a small ceremony "in the name of all those who died, men and women," during World War I. Death Ponticelli died at 12:45 pm (11:45 GMT) at his home in Le Kremlin-Bicêtre on 12 March 2008, aged 110. At the time of his death, Ponticelli was the oldest living man of Italian birth and the oldest man living in France. Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, released a statement and said there would be a day of national remembrance for the war dead of France. Ponticelli had at least one child, his then-78-year-old daughter, Janine Desbaucheron. His state funeral was held on 17 March 2008. The mass was held at Saint-Louis Cathedral in Les Invalides and was attended by government