Biography

Jim Cimino was born in Savannah, Illinois on January 24, 1920. He was born to Sicilian Immigrants. His father came at approximately the year 1910, and his mother came about 2 years later. He was born before his parents were naturalized in the US so they were Italian citizens. He was raised in Savannah, Illinois in a poor family. While he was in school, he also worked many jobs, while maintaining very good grades. He got his business degree at DePaul University in Chicago and enlisted in the US Army. He met his wife-to-be in Antwerp, Belgium. Her name was Barbara Scribner. She was from a well-know, British, Protestant family from Omaha, Nebraska. They were married 1 year later, on the same day they met the year before which was Thanksgiving Day. He took a job with Libby McNeill, a canned goods company based out of Chicago. He ascended ranks and took charge of Latin American territory, therefore moving to Venezuela and Puerto Rico. His family began with a tragic loss of their first daughter. Assuming they couldn’t have children, they adopted three European children, which were then followed by 2 more sons. He was based in Puerto Rico when he took over a flailing food company called Plaza Provision in the early 60’s. Sun Valley, Idaho had been a family vacation spot due to the Scribner involvement with the Union Pacific and foundation of Sun Valley. He had a good career and retired in 1975. He moved to Sun Valley with his wife and youngest son, David. He left the company with a close associate and the next generation. He became addicted to travel in his early career and to this day travels the world visiting the friends he has made in his 90 years of his life. He was widowed in 2001 from his first and only wife after an admirable 53 years of marriage. Now, he continues living in Sun Valley, with frequent trips to Paris and visits to his family in Puerto Rico. He is enjoying his life as the father to five children and grandfather of six grandchildren.