ANTONINO BELLANTONIO
Nino was born July 19, 1955 in Pellegrina di Bagnara, Province of Reggio Calabria, Italy.
He played soccer with the Bagharese Soccer, a semi-professional league in Italy for 2 years.
In 1973, at the age of 18, Nino moved to the USA with his family. He played with the Bagnarese Soccer Clun in Fort lee, NJ and was captain of the team for about 12 years. At the same time he was also captain of the NJ All Star Soccer Association.
Nino played with the NJ Rex, a soccer team from Hackensack, NJ for 2 years and finished with the Newark Sporting Portuguese Soccer Club after 6 years.
He coached the Little Ferry Strikers for 3 years and in 1982 joined the New York Cosmos Farm Team where he played for 3 years.
Nino also played with several professional soccer players such as Pele`, Beckenbower, Chinaglia, and Carlos Alberto.
Since retiring from the game, Nino has worked at Hoke, Inc., at Parker Hannifin, and currently he is with Versa Products Co.,where he has also joined the company’s soccer team.
Nino and his wife, Carmella, have been married since 1979 and they have 2 children : Dominick, age 24 and Marie, age 20.
Nino’s accomplishments are many…
Bagnarese Soccer Club
2 Italian League Championships
3 Indoor Tournaments “Vittorio Pozzo” Championships
3 Rheingold Tournaments in Union, NJ (all championships)
The only NJ Team to participate in the Barassi Summer Tournament of NY and to be undefeated for 3 years in a row.
The Newark Portuguese Soccer Club
The NJ Italian League Championship
Inter League NJ-NY Champions
Champions of the indoor Portuguese Tournament
American Challenge Cup Eastern Division finalists
The NJ Rex
3rd Place for the Wurzburger Summer Soccer Tournament
Little Ferry Strikers
Won the League Division Championship in his third year
