Born Paolo Giovanni Carbo on New York's Lower East Side, some sources claim his parents were from Agrigento, Sicily. Frankie Carbo was sent to the New York State Reformatory for juvenile delinquents at age eleven. Over the next ten years, Carbo would be in and out of prison on charges including assault and grand larceny. During this period, Carbo was arrested for the murder of a taxi driver who refused to pay protection money. Pleading not guilty, Carbo claimed self-defense. He eventually agreed to a plea bargain of manslaughter in exchange for a reduced sentence of two to four years. After serving 20 months in prison, Carbo was released.