joseph acanfora, iii was born in 1950 to leonore and joseph acanfora, ii. at the age of five, acanfora and his family moved from jersey city to brick town, nj. acanfora is the oldest of three children, with a sister being born in 1961 and another sister born 1964. as a young child, acanfora was interested in the weather, and this interest turned into a passion for meteorology. his mother said that acanfora "...once tried to eat chicken wings so he could fly up to the clouds and look at them close up." this passion was also spurred by acanfora's seventh grade science class teacher, who was a former navy meteorologist. acanfora graduated as valedictorian of his class from brick township high school, in brick township, new jersey in 1968.