{"id":2005,"date":"2025-10-14T17:48:26","date_gmt":"2025-10-14T17:48:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/2005\/"},"modified":"2025-10-14T17:48:26","modified_gmt":"2025-10-14T17:48:26","slug":"john-antoniello-educator-and-chairman-of-the-staten-island-republican-party-dies-at-82-life-stories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/2005\/","title":{"rendered":"John Antoniello, educator and chairman of the Staten Island Republican Party, dies at 82 | Life Stories"},"content":{"rendered":"

When John Antoniello proposed to his wife, he did not get down on one knee. That\u2019s because he popped the question on a ski lift. It was a fitting place to do it, as he and his wife bonded over skiing when they first met at a party in 1969. <\/p>\n

Mr. Antoniello, a teacher and prominent Staten Island republican, died on October 6. He was 82 years old. The cause of death was complications of diabetes. <\/p>\n

Mr. Antoniello was born and raised in Brooklyn, in the Sunset Park neighborhood. He was the only child of Josephine, a homemaker, and Thomas, a banker. They had both emigrated to Brooklyn from Italy. <\/p>\n

\"antoniello Debbie and John Antoniello (Staten Island Advance\/Carol Ann Benanti) Staff-Shot<\/p>\n

As a boy, he loved to climb trees and swim. He attended St. Agatha\u2019s Catholic School and Delehanty High School. \u201cIt was actually a school for boys who couldn\u2019t get along in other schools,\u201d said his wife, Deborah Antoniello. \u201cHe was getting in trouble in junior high, and his father sent him there.\u201d<\/p>\n

At 18, Mr. Antoniello joined the Navy Reserves. He graduated from St. John\u2019s University in Queens and obtained a master\u2019s degree in education from Wagner College. <\/p>\n

\"antoniello\"Then-Assemblyman Ron Castorina Jr. takes time during his victory speech at Prive Restaurant to thank John Antoniello. September 13, 2016 (Staten Island Advance\/Hilton Flores) Staff-Shot<\/p>\n

He embarked on a 37-year long career as a teacher at I.S. 51 in Westerleigh. He taught history, science, and computer arts. \u201cWhen the computers started to come into the schools, he was the first person to volunteer to teach the kids how to use computers,\u201d Deborah said.<\/p>\n

He ran the honor society, was in charge of the ski club, and trained students in the color guard.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe loved his students and they loved him,\u201d Deborah said. <\/p>\n

\"JohnJohn Antoniellofamily archive<\/p>\n

\u201cHe wanted to serve his community,\u201d said his son, Scott Antoniello. \u201cHe was always a community driven kind of person, and he loved teaching and making sure that the next generation of kids are going to grow up to be solid adults. That was his big thing. He loved to be able to teach the younger children and give them a solid foundation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe just knew how to explain things that one of his favorite things to say was, \u2018does that make sense to you?\u2019 He always wanted to make sure it made sense and that he was saying it in a way that made it relatable to who he was teaching,\u201d Scott said. <\/p>\n

After retiring from I.S. 51, he became a parent-teacher liaison at I.S. 34 in Tottenville. <\/p>\n

\"antoniello\"John Antoniello, as Community Board chairman, questions why the South Shore was blacked out following the return of power to other Island areas at a press conference in 2003 outside Con Ed headquarters on Davis Avenue. In the back are Andrew Lanza, Vito Fossella, and James Oddo.staten island advance<\/p>\n

Mr. Antoniello served on Staten Island Community Board 3, eventually becoming chairman. \u201cHe joined the community board to help make a better Staten Island,\u201d Deborah said. <\/p>\n

He was very active in the Republican Party, serving as the chair of the Staten Island GOP from 2013 to 2017. <\/p>\n

\"antoniello\"Then-Repubican Vice Chairman Bill D’Ambrosio and Chairman John Antoniello in 2013. (Staten Island Advance\/Hilton Flores) Staten Island Advance<\/p>\n

What issues was he passionate about? \u201cHe cared about better government,\u201d Deborah said. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe brought so many people into the into Republican fold,\u201d Scott said. \u201cHe was always there for them, collecting names on petitions and campaigning for whoever was running at the time. He was always out there working for the party. He literally lived for Staten Island . . .\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was selected to be a delegate to the Trump convention in Cleveland for the first election of Donald Trump. When he won the nomination, my husband went crazy,\u201d Deborah said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was a Trumper all the way,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe loved President Trump,\u201d Scott said. \u201cDonald Trump was one of his heroes since before I can remember, long before he was ever president. He knew him personally, met him several times, and then met him again several times on the campaign trail before he became president.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"JohnJohn Antoniellofamily archive<\/p>\n

Mr. Antoniello moved to Zephyrhills, Florida in 2022, to be near his grandchildren.<\/p>\n

In his free time, he loved to garden. He planted tomatoes and figs. He loved cars and rooted for the Yankees and the Giants. He travelled extensively, visiting Europe every summer. <\/p>\n

\"antoniello\"Vjollca Cejovic, left, John Antoniello, Nicole Malliotakis, Manhal Hussain and manager Amanda Terkizzi of Bagels R Us giving out a blue bagels with cream cheese to show support of cops in the wake of the murder of PO Miosotis Familia. July 8, 2017 (Staten Island Advance\/Hilton Flores) Staff-Shot<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was an exemplary father,\u201d Deborah said. \u201cHe stood behind his children at every occasion. He supported them. He pushed them forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was the best dad,\u201d Scott said. \u201cHe always was there for me if I needed him. He was never the type of person who would let you down.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr. Antoniello is survived by his wife, Deborah, his sons, John and Scott, and two grandchildren. <\/p>\n

\"ctyJohn Antoniello<\/p>\n

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