Cesar Ascarrunz first came to San Francisco as a young boy with his father, Macedonio Ascarrunz. The elder Ascarrunz was a prominent international attorney and elected member of the Bolivian Congress. He was gunned down in the streets of Potosi during a military coup.

Cesar attended UC Berkeley and USF where he studied Economics and Psychology. He has four adult children; Scott (a professional electrician), Phillip (a professional firefighter for more than a decade), Michael (an administrator) and Beth (a recently graduated Business Major).