Ameche was born on May 31, 1908 in Kenosha, Wisconsin; his father was an Italian immigrant and his mother had an Irish-German ancestry. He studied at Marquette University, at Loras College and the University of Wisconsin. Ameche was married to Honore Prendergast from 1932 until her death in 1986. He had four sons and two daughters. Ameche died on December 6, 1993 in his son's house in Scottsdale, Arizona from prostate cancer, aged 85.