Dino Cingolani, 76, baseball star

Dino V. Cingolani of East Norwalk, a Ridgefield native who was wooed by several major league baseball teams for his pitching prowess, died Monday, Aug. 16, in Norwalk Hospital. He was 76 years old and the husband of Alice Salvestrini Cingolani.
“Chink” Cingolani was born in Danbury on Nov. 26, 1927, son of the late Gino and Ida Pambianchi Cingolani. He grew up in the Branchville section of town and graduated in 1945 from Ridgefield High School. There, he starred on the baseball team and helped lead it to conference championship — not only with his pitching, but with his .485 batting average.
The New York Giants, Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Nationals all offered him contracts to pitch, but he chose the Giants and, in 1946, headed off to training camp in Florida. There he worked under the legendary Carl Hubbell, who was reputed to have called him “another Bob Feller.”
Mr. Cingolani played for Giants’ farm teams in Zanesville, Sioux City, Ogdensburg, and Trenton with the likes of Hoyt Wilhelm and Bobby Thompson. Though observers felt he could easily have made it to the majors, in the end, he decided to abandon minor league play, and return to Ridgefield.
Here, he pitched for local teams and in the Danbury City League for many years.
Mr. Cingolani was a U.S. Army veteran of the Korean War. A Norwalk resident since 1969, he was a retired salesman. He was an avid fisherman.
Several years ago, Mr. Cingolani was honored by the Ridgefield Old Timers Association.
Besides his wife, he is survived by a daughter, Regina Aitoro and her husband Vincent of Easton; a son, Dean Cingolani and his wife Susan of Greenburgh, N.Y.; a sister, Evelyn DePalma of Ridgefield; and four grandsons.
Services were held on Tuesday at the Collins Funeral Home in Norwalk. Interment was private.
Contributions in his memory may be made to the Whittingham Cancer Center, Norwalk Hospital Foundation, Maple Street, Norwalk, CT 06856.