BREVARD COUNTY -- Talk about a perfect Father's Day gift -- one Brevard County man got to meet the son he never knew he had.

  • Father and son meet for the first time
  • Discovered each other online

Spectrum News 13 was there for the emotional moments nearly five decades in the making.

"Never knowing that I had a son out there," reflected Maurizio Croppi of Port St. John, minutes before the life changing meeting.

Croppi has other children, so for him Father's Day has always been special.

But little did he know, he would soon have another amazing reason to celebrate.

It was all due to an Ancestry.com search done over the past five years from across the country.

"This is the best Father's Day gift anybody could have," Croppi said.

Once the back gate opened, the backyard became all abuzz with excitement.

"Hey son! Hey Dad! (laughing) I'm trying to keep it together! 47 years!"

The 69-year-old father finally met his 47-year-old son.

Each never knew about the other. Now they were hugging like they would never let go.

"I think it's great to meet up, and we can have a future together," said Croppi to Scott White.

There were countless phone calls between Croppi and White in getting to know one another.

Finally, White, wife Kristy, and son 'Tater,' traveled from Arkansas for this moment -- just in time for Father's Day weekend.

"The last 10 miles were the hardest, the first 1000 were easy," said White, still with his arm around his dad and tears in his eyes.

In 2017, the fruits of Kristy's online searches paid off. They were trying to track down Scott's biological father.

They say his mother never revealed any information about who his dad was.

"It all connected. We talked and I so 'ok, I'm taking responsibility, this is my son, he's been looking for me since he was a little guy,'" Croppi exclaimed. 

And speaking of little guys, Maurizio also gains a new grandchild in 12-year-old 'Tater.'

Both men want to share their story to encourage others like them to do DNA testing, with hopes of finding their lost loved ones.

"Happy Father's Day!" the father and son got to say to each other.

"That's the first time I can say that!" exclaimed White, who will now go by "Croppi-White".

Maurizio has two brothers in Washington state, who just met sons they never knew they had.

They found out through the same online process.