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WWW.THEOBSERVER.COM | THE OBSERVER | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 2019
WWW.THEOBSERVER.COM | THE OBSERVER | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 2019
WOMEN IN BUSINESS BERNADETTE ANTONELLI
B
ernadette Antonelli has done it all in the world of accounting. And recently, she’s taken her legendary work and is sharing her business — Arlington Tax and Bookkeeping — with her daughter, Brianna. Antonelli first opened the business in 1985 after “working for someone else.” That first year, it was just she and her mom. Eleven years later, things grew so exponentially she wound up buying her current location on Kearny Avenue. So what’s the secret to her success? Word of mouth played a huge role. The growth
under her leadership was so strong that today, she’s got clients not just nearby, but all across the country. And just how good is Antonelli at what she does? She’s federally licensed and can argue before the IRS. Plus she and Brianna are constantly studying to be atop all the latest in taxation. Things are strong now that all new clients are Brianna’s, though some still ask for her personally — that should come as no surprise.... When thinking of an inspiring woman in business, Bernadette Antonelli — for all she’s accomplished — should top that list.
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velyn Pezzolla is a trailblazer. She was the first woman to sit on the Lyndhurst Board of Commissioners — and has continued doing amazing work in the community, as a board member of the Meadowlands YMCA, with the Little Red School House and so much more. She’s done all this while raising a family — and working for 45 years as the assistant to her husband, Frank Pezzolla, owner and operator of Frank’s GMC, also in Lyndhurst. As if this wasn’t enough, her work began with the Junior Woman’s Club of Lyndhurst, she built the Lyndhurst Youth
Lyndhurst and Fort Lee. “My philosophy has always been if you build it, they will come,” Dr. Maria says. And come they have. The three doctors rotate practicing at the three offices. And every patient, regardless of insurance or lack thereof, is treated “like my own child would be treated,” Dr. Maria says. To demonstrate this, Pink is home to top-of-theline equipment where patients will “get the best exams possible.” The bottom line — you can’t go wrong with eye care from Pink Visions, where you’ll always feel right at home.
Center, implemented Lyndhurst’s first-ever recycling center and has fought for those with mental-health and addiction-related issues as the founder of Comprehensive Behavioral Health Care Services. She also found time to operate a bed-andbreakfast in Lyndhurst from 1984 to 1994. “Along the way, I found opposition, but I fought for my ideas — and won,” she says. She’s also mentored a lot of current leaders, including Bob Ceberio, when he was just 18. If ever there were a definition of a woman who inspires, Evelyn Pezzolla might just top that list.
Brady, Brady & Reilly 377 Kearny Ave., Kearny 201-991-0030 bbr-law.com
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ate Reilly is a partner with the firm of Brady, Brady & Reilly in Kearny. She has been practicing law in New Jersey for over 35 years and owns and manages a fourlawyer firm in Kearny that specializes in personal-injury matters including car accidents, slip and fall accidents, worker’s compensation, Uber & Lyft accidents and other injury-related cases. Reilly says when she first started practicing law in the early ‘80s, into the ‘90s, she faced significant discrimination in job opportunities, a lack of recognition for the work she performed and harassment by male attorneys for her role as a working mother. Undaunted, she started her own firm.
WANNY WONG
Pink Vision 348 Ridge Rd., Lyndhurst 201-438-8668 pinkvisionassociates.com
r. Maria Domingues wants everyone to know this — when you come to Pink Vision for treatment, you will be treated like family. And it’s been that way from the beginning, when she first opened an office in Irvington following optometry school. For the first few years, she did it all herself. Then, her sister, Dr. Carla Domingues, also an optometrist, joined her practice. And now, Carla’s best friend from school, Dr. Diana Espaillat, helps form the triumvirate of female doctors running three Pink Vision offices — Irvington,
KATE REILLY
Frank’s GMC 321 Orient Way, Lyndhurst 201-939-7708 franksgmc.net
DR. MARIA DOMINGUES
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a special section
EVELYN PEZZOLLA
Arlington Tax/Bookkeeping 764 Kearny Ave, Kearny 201-991-8888 arlingtontax.com
anny Wong, owner of Intrinsic Bakery, saw something special here. “I saw that Kearny was having a lot of development going on along the river and by Bergen Avenue,” the owner of two cafes said (the other is in Newark.) “I can see that a wave of development is happening in Kearny. So when I saw an opportunity to buy the mixed use building at Midland Avenue, I jumped at the opportunity. And I have been looking for a location to bake our own pastries for a long time. It turn out to be a perfect fit.” Since opening, she’s
seen great success. And her hard work has paid off. And she has advice for prospective female entrepreneurs. “Have a solid business plan,” she says. “I cannot stress the importance enough. Know what you are going into according to your numbers, not just your feeling alone. A solid business plan helps you anticipate the process a lot better. “I am very fortunate to have amazing managers and a wonderful business partner. I don’t think I could be here without all the help and support I have received from my support network.”
Since then and the merger of her firm with Larry Brady, Esq., 12 years ago, she has enjoyed many satisfying years as a trial lawyer. Reilly is the Second VP of the New Jersey Association for Justice, a New Jersey state trial lawyer’s organization. She has been admitted to practice in the United States Supreme Court, is certified by the NJ Supreme Court as a Certified Civil Trial Lawyer and has been named a New Jersey Super Lawyer since 2011. She is rated AV Preeminent by Martindale Hubbell, the highest level of professional excellence as voted on by her peers. Most importantly, Reilly is the proud mother of three children: Kate, Mike and James.
SANDRA CASTRO
Owner of Intrinsic Bakery 161 Midland Ave., Kearny 201-618-2689 intrinsicbakery.com
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Vista Services 290 Stuyvesant Ave., Lyndhurst 201-340-4376 vistatax.com
W
hile Sandra Castro’s co-owned business, Vista Services, is just a couple of years old, her 20+ years of experience show why so many people turn to her when it comes time for taxes to be prepared or for important financial planning. And that experience, she says, helps her to advise clients in ways not all could. “It’s important to teach our clients to understand the more complex things,” she says. “Especially now with so many changes to the tax laws. People want to know why they’re getting more money back — or less. We go line by line to explain.” Castro says there’s also a myth about
accountants — and that is, they only do work at tax time. That’s hardly the case. “Whether it’s financial planning, private or public, I always want my clients to have a chance to grow financially,” Castro says. “I also hope people aren’t afraid of numbers. Yes, there is some math to it all — but these kinds of numbers are good numbers.” All in all, Castro is great at what she does — and there’s a reason why. “You have to love what you do and be committed to it,” she says. And there is no doubt — Castro is indeed dedicated and loves what she does. The results prove it!