As a Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape instructor, Ron Centanni trained everyone from foot soldiers headed for Vietnam to astronauts headed for space. The oldest of two sons, Ron Centanni was born in Chicago to Paul and Ida (DeMuro). The family lived on the 3400 block of Flournoy Street in a two-flat owned by Centanni’s paternal grandparents until they moved to Villa Park when Centanni was 4 years old.

His father’s family emigrated from Sicily and his mother’s from Bari. Christmas Eve was celebrated at his maternal grandparents’ home. “It was always a tradition on Christmas Eve. We’d go there for dinner with all the relatives, the aunts, uncles, cousins,” Centanni fondly recalls. “The big feast, that was a highlight.”