It arrived in 1965 when he was just 18 years old.
"I got this letter in 1965. I was 18," Pisano said. "It was a big shock to me because going to the Army was not something I planned on."
Pisano, who grew up in Brooklyn, was drafted during the Vietnam War era and sent first to basic training in Georgia, then to advanced training in California. He later received orders to serve in Germany - a place that would open his eyes to the world, even as he continued hiding a deeply personal part of himself.
"It was very, very secretive in the '60s. It's not like it is today," Pisano said. "I appreciate today because it's so happy to see people walking down the street holding hands and not being ashamed of themselves, where in the 1960s, everything was behind closed doors."
Pisano said he lived in fear of being discovered while serving in the Army.
"I was very, very afraid of being caught, especially in the Army," he said. "I didn't want to get a dishonorable discharge."
After returning to New York, Pisano said he still struggled to tell his family he was gay. He came from a close Italian family and feared rejection after seeing how another gay relative had been treated.
"I was ashamed of telling them," he said. "The love of a parent was more important to me than telling her I was gay, so that's the way I kept it."
Pisano eventually came out to his sister, wanting at least one family member to know the truth. But he says that decision came with painful consequences, leading to a family estrangement that has lasted more than 40 years.
Still, Pisano also remembers the moments that helped him feel free.
He recalls walking into the Stonewall Inn for the first time and feeling like he had found a new beginning.
"I was so fascinated. I was so happy," he said. "I said, 'Oh my God, I finally found this.'"
Years later, Pisano met George at a gay bar in Brooklyn Heights. What began with a dance turned into hours of conversation in Pisano's Cadillac and eventually, a lifetime together.
"I've been with my husband George for 55 years now, and it's one of the best parts of my life," Pisano said.
After marriage equality became law in New York, the couple decided to make it official. They married on November 5, 2011, after what Pisano jokingly called "a long engagement of 40 years."
What was expected to be a small gathering turned into a celebration with 80 people.
Today, Pisano still carries the piece of paper with George's old phone number in his wallet.
As he reflects on his life, Pisano says his message to younger LGBTQ+ people is simple.
"Be who you are," he said. "Don't try to conceal it because it eventually comes out anyway. Be yourself, be honest with yourself."
For Pisano, one of the earliest moments of acceptance came far from home, inside a confessional at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. He told a priest he was gay, expecting condemnation.
Instead, he received compassion.
"He looked at me and said, 'Being able to love another person in the world is the most beautiful thing in the world. Don't condemn yourself," Pisano recalled.
Pisano said he walked out feeling changed.
"I walked out of the confessional with my head held high," he said. "That's the first time I felt proud."
Join us this weekend for New York City's Pride march on ABC 7. We'll bring you live coverage of the parade this Sunday, starting at noon.
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