Tommy Tantillo and Nick Bell celebrate after winning the 54th Italian-American Charity Golf Association Tournament at Holiday Valley Resort on Saturday. P-J photo by Scott Kindberg

ELLICOTTVILLE — After the completion of the 54th Italian-American Charity Golf Association Tournament on Saturday evening, it was time for obligatory pictures of the winning team.

The last to pose for a group photo just off the 18th green at Holiday Valley Resort were Tommy Tantillo; his wife, Diana; their toddler son, Stefano; and Tantillo’s parents, Frank and Sara. As they smiled at a bunch of cell phone cameras, Stefano — as if on cue — innocently raised his right hand and pointed his index finger toward the sky.

Coincidence? Maybe, but there was no doubt that his dad and playing partner, Nick Bell, were, in fact, indeed No. 1 in the 88-team field.

Courtesy of a magnificent putt that put him in tap-in range, Tantillo made par (net birdie) on the first playoff hole to send he and Bell to the championship for the first time.

Pete Morgante and Jon Gren Jr., who were the overall runners-up, were tied with Tantillo and Bell at 19-under after regulation, but were unable to extend the match in the playoff, which allowed the latter tandem to win their first I-A championship in their seventh try.

Nick Bell, left, and Tommy Tantillo read a putt on the playoff hole. P-J photo by Scott Kindberg

“The I-A is our major, it’s our ‘Masters,'” Bell said. ” … We’re thankful we had the opportunity to play in it.”

The victory was one of redemption of sorts for Tantillo, who missed a short putt on the final hole a few years ago that would have sent him and Bell into a playoff. It was also a victory that affirmed Tantillo’s resilience and focus because the last few months have been trying ones for he and his family after Stefano was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

“Having him here as I was coming off the green is a moment I’ll never forget,” Tantillo said, “and I’ll be able to tell him about it someday.”

He’ll have plenty of stories to repeat, most notably the 30-foot putt that Bell made from off the green on No. 14 for a net birdie that helped the longtime friends post a 7-under 63, as well as “dear old dad’s” effort with the “flat stick” on the playoff hole that clinched the victory.

“Best putt of the weekend,” Bell said.

Tommy Tantillo watches intently as his long putt in the playoff nearly drops in the cup. P-J photo by Scott Kindberg

Added Tantillo: “We’ve had some good rounds at the I-A, but I don’t think we were sniffing the finish line like we did. We know what it’s like now and we feel more comfortable being out there. … We didn’t really talk about a number. We just took it shot by shot. … We stayed in the game. We didn’t think about a big goal.”

Ironically, the biggest goal — an Italian-American Charity Golf Association championship — was now theirs. And if anyone needed confirmation of that Saturday evening, all he or she had to do was look in the direction of the little boy who Tantillo was holding in his arms during the post-round celebration.

Stefano’s smile told the story.

“To be able to win it is something that we always dreamed of,” Tantillo said, “and here it is.”

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Held by his father, Tommy, Stefano Tantillo shows who is No. 1 at the completion of the 54th Italian-American Charity Golf Association Tournament at Holiday Valley Resort on Saturday. Joining father and son, from the left, are Sara Tantillo, Tommy's mother; Diana Tantillo, Tommy's wife and Stefano's mom; and Frank Tantillo, Tommy's father. P-J photo by Scott Kindberg

See complete story/results in Monday’s Post-Journal.

Tommy Tantillo and his son, Stefano. P-J photo by Scott Kindberg