Beloved NJ Teacher Died Where He Coached In Jersey City

Anthony Bello used to go to parks to give money to kids. When he went there on his own time, Bello liked to relax and sip his coffee.

And for many years, in just these same parks, Bello coached kids, and inspired them to stay out of trouble. He helped them find the same peace he found at these same parks.

This past weekend, Bello, 77, of Jersey City, died in one of the parks where he reportedly coached, the victim of a stab wound to the torso, according to the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office.

Bello was a local fixture who once gave $100 worth of carnival tickets to four children, according to nj.com. He was a retired teacher from St. Nicholas who often stopped to talk to his neighbors after getting his morning cup of coffee.

The incident happened just before 8:15 a.m. when Jersey City Police Department received a report of an aggravated assault at Pershing Field Park located at Manhattan and Central avenues in Jersey City, according to the HCPO.

Responding Police Officers found Bello unresponsive in the park and was bleeding from a wound to his torso, according to the HCPO.

He was transported by Emergency Medical Services to Jersey City Medical Center where he was pronounced dead at approximately 9:05 a.m. on Sunday. While there was an apparent stab wound to Bello’s torso, the cause and manner of death are pending an investigation by the Regional Medical Examiner’s Office, according to the HCPO.

The preliminary investigation revealed that Bello was involved in an altercation in the park with another man who subsequently walked away from the scene. No arrests have been made at this time.

Bello, known as "the mayor of the block," reportedly died just feet away from his Manhattan Avenue home where he lived for decades, according to nj.com. In that park, detectives focused their investigation around a small section of the park near the Manhattan Avenue entrance and two small blood stains remained on the bench.

Bello was also president of the local little league, according to PIX11, and he was fondly remembered by former student Sheldon Gochiz, 26, who took Bello's history class when he was in middle school.

"You always see him around, you always say hi, but to have him pass away like that... actually hit me now," he told the station. "We definitely lost a man of the community."

The Prosecutor’s Homicide Unit continues to actively investigate the case with assistance from the Jersey City Police Department. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Office of the Hudson County Prosecutor at 201-915-1345 or to leave an anonymous tip on the prosecutor’s website at: http://www.hudsoncountyprosecu... . All information will be kept confidential.

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