Antonio was converted after reading John’s gospel. As a result, his parents disowned him and his wife left him for a while. Undeterred, he kept praying for them and in 1982 his wife and mother professed faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. As a result of his personal evangelistic efforts, a group of believers began to meet in Peschici, a town on the Adriatic coast. In 1992 a church was formed, with Antonio as pastor. Then in 2001, another church was planted in nearby Vico del Gargano.