Jim Persino:  

Hi, all! Since 1979 I have lived in Lincolnwood, Illinois and own my own commercial retail real estate development/investment business with a partner, now deceased. I married my wife, Gail, in 1977 and we have 3 beautiful children - 2 grown daughters and a son - as well as 5 grandchildren! My oldest daughter is married and has 2 girls and a boy. My other daughter graduated from National Louis University, then got her Master's Degree and has been a primary grade teacher, now in the Chicago Public Schools. and is now married with 2 boys. My son graduated from NIU in IT and is now an IT specialist at Lettuce Entertain U Restaurant Group. I am an avid snow skier and ski the Rockies 3 to 4 times a year on average and my son joins me on 1 or 2 of the trips each year, as do some of my grand kids from time to time. Gail was a designer fashion consultant at Neiman Marcus and retired in 2019 after 20 years. My parents have now both passed on. Between my younger sister and I, my folks had 6 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren. We are still a very close family and are frequently at each others' homes. I am somewhat of a cigar "aficionado", as was my Dad, and I have a rather large inventory of cigars kept fresh in an armoire size humidor that was a gift from Gail. A good friend and smoking buddy of mine and I throw an outdoor cigar party each year in September. to raise money for mostly military charities. We host from 50 to 120 cigar buddies each time, one of whom is a golf pro who put in a putting green and chipping mat for practice in my backyard and to give free lessons to the guys! A couple of Niles West 1967 grads have attended these cigar events! I host cigar buddies at my house each week all year long, so long as I am in town. We smoke gars, drink, have snacks and catch up on our week and often watch NFL, NHL or MLB sports while doing so. We're on my patio each time and around a fire pit when the weather gets cold. In the warm weather we are pitching and putting on my green. I stay in touch with some Niles West classmates and a number of my Park View grammar school alums as well. In 2003 we had a 40 year Park View reunion and several mini reunions/get togethers since then. They are always fun and it is always great to visit with the old crew. One of my Park View buddies, Jack Terrazas, is a wonderful painter and did a portrait of Frank Sinatra for me that hangs over ...Expand for more