 Nicoliță is an ethnic Romani/Gypsy, one of six brothers raised by his mother in the small, impoverished town of Făurei, Nicoliță grew up determined to succeed and his speed and diligence on the field are proof of his unalloyed passion for the game.One of his brothers, Stelian is also a professional footballer who played for CF Brăila and other teams in the lower leagues of Romania.Bănel and Stelian played together at their hometown team CS Făurei.