Ogoranu was born in a Greek-Catholic Romanian family as one of three children, in Gura Văii, Făgăraș County, in the Țara Făgărașului region of southeastern Transylvania.

[1]: 436  He studied at Radu Negru High School in Făgăraș, where he was from 1936 to 1940 a member of the Frăția de Cruce [ro] "Negoiu" (The Brotherhood of the Cross), the youth wing of the Iron Guard.

[1] In 1941 he was arrested by the Ion Antonescu regime for his participation in the Legionnaires' rebellion and was condemned to 10 years forced labor.

[1] After the end of World War II, Ogoranu attended classes at the Department of Agronomy, University of Cluj and the Commercial Academy in Brașov.

For 7 years (1948–1955), he led the anti-communist resistance formation "Grupul Carpatin Făgărășan", consisting of 25–30 members active on the northern slopes of the Făgăraș Mountains.