Bertoni was born at Ingham, Queensland, the son of Pietro Bertoni and his wife Rosalinda (née Ditali) He was educated at Ingham Roman Catholic School and Mount Carmel College in Charters Towers before attending the University of Queensland where he earned a diploma in pharmaceutics. He owned a pharmacy in Brisbane from 1956 until 1961 before moving to Mount Isa where he also owned a pharmacy.
