Throughout his career, Pacione played for several Italian clubs. He began his career in Serie B with Atalanta in 1982, where he also later made his breakthrough, helping the club to Serie A promotion and the Serie B title in 1984, due to his prolific performances, which saw him score 15 goals, and finish the season as the top scorer in the league; as a result he earned the nickname "Paciogol", for his ability to score decisive goals for his team. He made his Serie A debut the following season, scoring 5 goals.