Often called a pillar of the community, and known by his big personality and iconic smile, Ralph John Tenuta died Wednesday night at age 87 after a brief illness.
The son of John Tenuta, who founded Tenuta’s Delicatessen Liquors and Wines, 3203 52nd St., in 1950, Ralph grew the family business, retiring 20 years ago.
Over the years he employed hundreds of Kenosha youth, became a prolific supporter of Kenosha’s academic institutions and a role model to fellow businessmen.
He was named Chamber of Commerce Person of the Year, KABA Person of the Year and was past president of Rotary West.
“Community, education and work were important to him,” said Ralph’s son, Chris Tenuta.
Well known and well liked, he was sometimes called the informal mayor of Kenosha, said former Carthage College president Greg Campbell.
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“One of my favorite memories of Ralph is how he’d stand in that center aisle (of Tenuta’s) talking with everyone. ... He knew the family trees of half of Kenosha,” Campbell said.
“He was a dear friend, a mentor, and one of the greatest business minds I ever encountered in the five decades I worked at the Kenosha News,” said recently retired advertising representative Dennis Serpe.
Tenuta served as a Carthage College trustee for 25 years and received the 2006 Carthage Flame Award.
“He gave reasonable advice and took initiatives,” Campbell said.
Campbell credits Ralph with instituting a campus luncheon series that brought in political, professional and business leaders.
“He built bridges between the Kenosha community and the college,” he said.
He was instrumental in establishing the University of Wisconsin-Parkside and served as president of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside Benevolent Foundation. In 2008 he received the UW-Parkside Lifetime Recognition Award.
He was also honored in 2015 as a Distinguished Bradford High School Alumni by the Bradford High School Alumni Association.
Growing the family business
Tenuta was born on May 26, 1932, to John and Lydia Tenuta.
After graduating from Bradford High School in 1950, he attended Marquette University and took courses with the University of Wisconsin-Extension.
He soon joined his father in the store’s operations, helping grow it with innovative products and marketing ideas.
“He worked seven days a week,” Serpe said.
“He was ahead of his time with things like the ‘buy one get one,’ red tag (wine) sale and selling sandwiches outside. Other stores followed his lead, like offering craft beers and the idea of ‘build your own six pack.’”
In business Ralph was “a gentleman; firm but fair,” Serpe said.
Ralph’s cousin, Tony Bonnano, Tenuta’s deli manager, worked side-by-side with Ralph and said he “taught him everything he knows” about the deli business.
“Me and Ralph would go to food shows, decide what to bring back,” Bonnano said in a News article in 2018.
Ralph also introduced an expansive line of cigars. His love of cigars dated back to high school, Chris said.
“He and some friends were in a club and had a contest to become the mayor of Kenosha. They had their pictures taken in a room in city hall smoking cigars. They got in trouble for that,” he said.
Helping others
Ralph networked on behalf of the Italian community. In the days when bank loans were hard to come by, he and several others got together and formed a bank known informally as the Italiana Bank, said Serpe. This later became American State Bank.
Ralph was also a trustee of the Greater Kenosha Area Foundation. In a salute to Ralph, the organization credited him for providing “jobs and financial incentives to young people.”
Among the dozens of photos adorning the walls of Tenuta’s is a plaque of thanks presented to Ralph from former employees. “For many of us it was our first job, and it was and is a great place to work!”
“He touched so many people, all those employees, over so many years,” Serpe said.
He was also a great friend to many. “He had a great sense of humor and a way of making people feel like they were better than he was,” said lifelong friend Carlo Ricciardi.
“He mentored me, not just in advertising, but taught me about life,” Serpe said. “His favorite saying to me was, ‘You can look back, but don’t stare: Life is ahead of you.’”
“He did a lot of good for the community and didn’t take himself into consideration,” Chris said.
Funeral arrangements will be published at a later date.
Images of Kenosha's lakeshore
WEATHER FEATURE

World Water Day is the perfect time to celebrate Lake Michigan, home to our iconic red lighthouse and the source for our clean, safe drinking water.
ambrose4

Above, the sun rises slowly over Lake Michigan’s dark, churning waters off the Kenosha lakeshore on a recent morning. At top, the tall ship the Red Witch sits at its moorings alongside the Kenosha Harbor.
ambrose4
kdisinwater

This image was taken by a Kenosha couple of local teens in swimming attire on the north pier who were seen jumping several times into Lake Michigan on Friday.
Feature photo

Shrouded by fog
Fog on Lake Michigan Wednesday partially obscures the Red Witch, a reproduction of an early 19th century Great Lakes schooner that regulary cruises the local coastline and is homeported in Kenosha.
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The Thomas family enjoying an early evening walk down by the Kenosha pier on Lake Michigan (Jake, Camryn, Samantha and Darin)
Submitted by Taylor Thomas
fishing

Casting for a bite, Tyler Niemeyer of St. Charles, Minn., makes his way back to shore to change lures while fishing Lake Michigan off the Pike River. Fishing columnist Bill Kloster believes the bite around town from the shoreline at Lake Michigan, although presently bleak, has the potential of providing “extra angling excitement that keeps fishermen awake at night.”
fishing
Kiteboarding

Brian Erwin, of Kenosha, get his foil-equipped board out of the water while kiteboarding near the Pennoyer Park Sesquicentennial Band Shell on Lake Michigan.
Kiteboarding
Kiteboarding

Brian Erwin, of Kenosha, get his foil-equipped board out of the water while kiteboarding off of the Pennoyer Sesquicentennial Band Shell on Lake Michigan.
Behind the Lens - Kiteboarding

Brian Erwin, of Kenosha, get his foil-equipped board out of the water while kiteboarding off of the Pennoyer Sesquicentennial Band Shell on Lake Michigan. When I headed to the lakefront to take photos of him in actino, I packed our longest lens, a 400 mm and brought a converter as I was expecting him to be out on the lake. To my surprise, he stayed pretty close to the shore and I found myself with a little too much of a zoom. This photograph filled the entire frame of the camera.
Kiteboarding

Charles Matalonis Jr., of Kenosha, starts his kiteboard from the beach by the Pennoyer Park Sesquicentennial Band Shell on Lake Michigan.
Kiteboarding
WEATHER FEATURE

Some peace of mind
“I like open space. I don’t see the end of it, so that gives me peace of mind,” said John Kramarz as he fished at the Pike River outlet into Lake Michigan at Pennoyer Park on Sunday.
STANDALONE WEATHER FEATURE

A wild ride on the Lake Michigan waters
A kiteboarder plays in the waves along Simmons Island on Thursday. It won’t be much warmer today, despite mostly sunny skies in the forecast. Winds will be easterly from 10 to 20 mph today, and waves on the lake will be from 5 to 9 feet high. For more on the lake boating advisory and the AccuWeather forecast, see Page A12.
Red Witch

Andrew Sadock, owner/captain of the Red Witch, oversees the dry dock procedure from the bow last fall at Southport Marina. The 77-foot double-masted schooner served 3,232 customers over summer 2017 in Kenosha. It is back in Lake Michigan this year and the ship will lead the procession of the Tall Ships Festival back to Kenosha in 2019.
weather photos

Another home game postponement for Kingfish
Kenosha Kingfish grounds crew members Nathan Hansen, left, and Drew Dyer (grandson of Kingfish manager Duffy Dyer and son of hitting coach Brian Dyer) fill in a muddy infield patch at Simmons Field on Wednesday afternoon. Wet field conditions delayed the midday game against the Lakeshore Chinooks before it was eventually postponed. It will be made up July 3 at 4:05 p.m. as the first game of a doubleheader consisting of two seven-inning games. Wednesday was the second consecutive day the Kingfish had a home contest postponed after rain washed out Tuesday night’s tilt against the Wisconsin Woodchucks. That will be made up Aug. 2 at Simmons as part of a doubleheader starting at 4:30 p.m.