Born in Brooklyn in an immigrant family in 1899. He dropped out of school when he was in the sixth grade and later became a member of a violent street gang. Johnny Torrio was the street gangs leader and he befriended Al Capone.

In 1920, Torrio and Capone moved to Chicago to join the Colosimo mob and became a influential lieutenant. The Colosimo mob made a profit buy selling alcohol during Prohibition, cleaning and dyeing, and cultivated influence with receptive public officials, labor unions, and employees’ associations.

Torrio later became the leader of the mob due to the death of Big Jim Colosimo, and Capone became his right hand man.

In 1925 Torrio suffered serious wounds due to an assassination attempt, so he moved to Brooklyn to retire. This made Capone take over as the leader of the mob. Capone built a fearsome reputation in all of the ruthless gang rivalries of the period.