The wake for Cilio will take place on Monday, November 24 from 4 to 9 p.m. at Salerno's Funeral Home on 450 Lake Street in Roselle, IL. The funeral will be on Tuesday.
Gene Cilio, one of Chicago's leading trainers for a number of years, died Saturday night of cancer at age 74. A native Chicagoan who worked for his father, conditioner Angelo Cilio, before going out on his own in 1955, Cilio trained 23 stakes winners since 1991 and sent out several others before that date. This year, he won stakes at Arlington Park with Act of War, Lakenheath, and Out of My Way. Lakenheath, a graded winner during her career at Arlington and Fair Grounds, was one of several graded winners for Cilio. Cilio's brother, Ron DiCicilia, earned a 2002 Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association award as Illinois top owner/breeder.
