Nino DiMinni

Nino DiMinni, age 81 of Wayne, passed away peacefully on Monday, January 3, 2022.

Nino, also known as Anthony and Tony, was born in Fraine, Italy, the son of Rosario and Maria (Sisti) DiMinni. When he was just eleven years old, he boarded a ship, all by himself, and headed for a new life and lots of great opportunity in the United States. While on that ship, Nino had the privilege of meeting fellow travelers that would turn out to be lifelong friends. When the ship pulled into port in New York City, Nino was greeted by his uncle and his sisters who had come before him. Later, his parents would join them too. The family eventually settled in Paterson in a home on East 26th Street and later in a house on the corner of Liberty Street and Maple Street.

Nino attended and graduated Don Bosco Technology Academy in Paterson.  In 1963, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and proudly served for the next three years in Germany during peacetime. For his service, he was the recipient of a Medal for Good Conduct.   Upon his return to civilian life, Nino went to work as a carpenter for his brother in law. Nino loved this work and went on to own and run his own general contracting business primarily building homes in North Jersey for over fifty years. He took great pride in his work living by the philosophy that “your craft was like putting your signature on something for all to see, so always do it right.”

In 1966, while working on a customer’s home, Nino had the good fortune of meeting the homeowner’s daughter. Her name was Judith Festa. Nino and Judy ultimately fell in love and married in 1967 at St. James R.C. Church in Totowa. After a reception at the Hickory Hill Country Club (currently called the Barnyard and Carriage House) on Totowa Road in Totowa, the newlyweds honeymooned in Bermuda. They started life in Wayne, raising their son and two daughters and enjoying a thirty-two year marriage full of sincere love and devotion until Judy’s untimely passing in 1999. Nino was grateful to find love once more when he met Mary Poalillo while doing a construction project for a mortgage company she was working for. They married at Victoria’s Chapel in Las Vegas, Nevada in 2003 and enjoyed the blessing they were to each other to this present time.

For Nino, there was nothing that was more important to him than his family. Whether it was vacationing together or just enjoying each other’s company at home, nothing made Nino happier that time spent with his family. He simply adored his grandchildren and “fur grandbabies” – his own dogs Snoop and Dash and his grand-doggies Payton, Walter, Romeo, and Dolce. In 2016, Nino returned to his home country of Italy for the first time since immigrating to the USA. He traveled with his wife and his daughter Sarah and her family.  While there he enjoyed the highlights of meeting up with some old paisans and seeing the house once more where he spent the first eleven years of his life. They must have stood in front of that house for a while because eventually the present owner came out and asked “You like my house?” Nino’s reply was “I like MY house” and, of course, he went on to explain it was the house of his childhood. To their surprise, the man invited them in to see the inside. A flood of memories washed over Nino in that moment. While in town, Nino got to see other landmarks including the school he attended and his hometown church where he was baptized.

One of Nino’s happiest pastimes was playing cards and nothing added more to the joy of that activity than playing with the chance of making a little money. As the past president of the Italian American Club in Totowa, Nino would regularly get together with friends on Tuesday and Friday nights to play cards. He loved life at the club and was always glad to donate his time to do whatever carpentry-related improvements that were needed. When not playing cards there, Nino and Mary enjoyed trips to visit his daughter Maria and her family in Las Vegas. Of course, while there, he would always visit the casinos in Las Vegas to test his luck. He and Mary also took many cruises including all the islands, but his favorite cruise of all time was the Alaskan cruise.

Nino loved life in America. He loved the American spirit and all that this country had to offer – great opportunities and all of the usual pastimes. In the early evening he enjoyed watching gameshows, especially Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune and The Price is Right. He’d get so passionate when watching the Price is Right! You could often hear him yelling at the television, something like “That price is too high” or “Choose door number 2!” Nino loved watching American westerns like Gun Smoke, The Rifleman, and any movies featuring John Wayne or Clint Eastwood. He loved watching all sports including the Brooklyn Dodgers until they moved to Los Angeles, the New York Mets, the Rangers and the Giants. When it came to listening to some good music, Nino gravitated to pop music of the 1950’s, old school country music, and Italian artists, especially Andrea Bocelli.

Nino was a great guy who prided himself and always tried to being an example of someone who approached life with a spirit of integrity. Among other factors, this desire was fed by his faith in God which was important to him, especially in the last thirty years when he started attending Mass regularly at Our Lady of the Valley Church in Wayne. When he couldn’t make it to church, he would often tune in to Mass on television. Nino enjoyed loving relationships with his entire family. When he was raising his children he was known to say, “I’m not always right but I’m never wrong” and “Do as I say, not as I do.” Of course, as they got older, his kids questioned the wisdom of these sayings but, as they reflect on their childhoods, they are grateful for his guiding discipline. As they grew into adulthood and started families of their own, it was always comforting to know they could go to him for advice and what they received was always smart, logical, insightful, and shared in a spirit of mentorship. Nino had a big heart and he was a true believer in giving people a chance. He would help anyone with any legitimate need, care or concern.

Nino is survived by his beloved second wife Mary (Poalillo), his three loving children: Maria and husband Anthony Veltri of Henderson, NV, Rosario and wife Jennifer DiMinni of Short Hills, and Sarah and husband Michael Panebianco of Wayne; his adored grandfather of: Anthony, Michael, Ava, Tiffani, Judith, R.J., Alessandra, Natalia and Brendan; and his dear sisters: Vinnie and her husband Leonard Locantore of Wayne, and Mary and her husband Pat DelVecchio of Totowa. He was predeceased by his beloved first wife Judith (Festa) in 1999, his younger sister Elda Barca in 2006 and his brother-in-law Ugo Barca in 2011.

Those planning an expression of sympathy in Nino’s name are asked to consider: Wayne Animal Shelter, 201 Pompton Plains Crossroads, Wayne, NJ 07470, 973-694-0767