Nick C. Aquilina was born June 10, 1937 in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
Aquilina obtained a bachelor of arts degree in scoiology from King's College in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania (1958). Aquilina was part of the United States Army from 1960 to 1962.
Aquilina began working at the Nevada Test Site in 1962; joined AEC from January 1967 to 1976; Idaho National Engineering Lab (INEL) from 1976 to 1987; Manager of the Nevada Operations Office from 1987 to 1994, when he then retired.
Nick married Freda September 7, 1963 and had two children, David and Lisa.
As of 2004, Aquilina was on the Board of Trustees at the Atomic Testing Museum (Secretary of Executive Communication and Head of Finance Committee).