Eto was born in California to a highly disciplinarian father. During World War II, Eto was interned at Minidoka War Relocation Center, and was arrested in 1942 for violating wartime curfew at the camp. In 1949 he moved to Chicago, where he set up an illegal gambling racket known as "bolito" and was managing up to $150,000 to $200,000 a week, including $3,000 a week payoffs to corrupt Chicago police. Ken Eto died in Georgia in 2004 at the age of 84, living under the name Joe Tanaka. He left behind six children.