He was born in Milan, Italy, in 1973 in an aviation oriented family. His grandfather, Umberto Ricci, and his brother Ettore were aviation pioneers and aircraft builders in Italy in the 20's and his father, Carlo Umberto Ricci Moretti, an architect with a passion for aviation and history, led him to the same lifelong enthusiasm for aviation and vintage aircraft.

He graduated as an Aerospace Engineer from Politecnico di Milano and has worked for a major Italian helicopter manufacturer, leading engineering offices first in the United States and, since 2006, in Italy.

In 2002 he gained his FAA private pilot certificate and acquired his beloved 1941 Aeronca 65-CA which he flew for over 200 hours in the Eastern United States.

He disassembled, shipped and reassembled the plane when he returned to Italy and he flies it regularly from a grass strip near Milan.