Tag Archives: Dennis Santi

Fascinated with airplanes from an early age, Dennis Santi lost two pounds in a week to pass the physical and embark on a quarter-century career in the Naval Reverse’s aviation program. The younger of two boys, Dennis Santi was born in Highwood, Illinois, to Ernest and Victoria Baldi Santi. His maternal and paternal grandparents emigrated from the Modena region of Italy. Santi’s father died when he was 1 year old, and his mother worked as the city clerk in Highwood. “We were lucky to grow up in Highwood in an Italian neighborhood,” Santi says. “It was close-knit. If I got …