Whether they had a bet at 7-1 on him scoring the first goal is unrecorded, but Paolo reveals:
"I am not a magician and didn't know, but hoped, before the game that I would score - but my friend Phil and my mother in law knew.
"On the Thursday night before the game we went out together for dinner and Phil told me I was going to score.
"And my mother in law said on the morning of the game it would happen because she wore a shirt opposite than the normal way - and in Italy we say this is good luck.
"She told me, 'Paolo look, without intending to, I wore my shirt the opposite way.'
"Because I am superstitious I said 'don't say this now, it is bad luck to' - but I scored and whether it is coincidence or not, I don't know."
Joy was relatively short-lived, with Bolton getting a point at Southampton and making Ian Ormerod the toast of that part of Lancashire with his miss from a couple of yards out that allowed the Trotters to go home with a point.
"For a couple of hours we were above Bolton, and now we will see, says Paolo, who denies the whispering campaign that said he would refuse to go on the bench.
He proved that to be untrue on Saturday, and says:
"Of course; I am a West Ham player, and a professional.
"Even if I have my opinions that I want to play 90 minutes, if someone tells me 'you have to play from the bench' I go, because I earn money from this club.
"Even if they tell me 'you have to play one minute' I have to be tough and strong - and for this I train every day and don't give up.
"More than that, I have a lot to give back to the supporters because they gave me too much love, with me anyway - they are in credit with me and I have to respect it.
"In the last two months I was 'closed' by some decisions, but I was always working hard; I said to myself that I am a professional and could be called at any time by Glenn Roeder or now Trevor Brooking - and I have to be ready.
"This is respect for my job and I am happy only for this."
During the traditional end of season lap of honour Paolo gave his shirt to one supporter in the Centenary Stand, but admits he wished he had been able to give one to every Hammers fan in the world.
"The gesture to one supporter is clothes for every fan; one was lucky to keep my shirt but that was that special moment for everyone else there," the maestro says.
"And not just for the people who were in the stadium, but those who live maybe in Australia or America who support West Ham."
And so to the final countdown - can West Ham still do it?
"We have to win; nothing is done yet," he insists.
"We have to give our best and we can't stop or switch off yet; training has started again today, we have to stay calm, relax, and we have to focus on beating Birmingham.
"We don't have to have regrets; we have to beat Birmingham and see what happens."