Myslinski grew up in a poor family of Polish immigrants in Steubenville, Ohio. He was the third child of Felix Myslinski and Stella Dziegelewski. He had seven brothers (Joseph, John, Clement, Thaddaeus, Peter, Paul, and Stanley) and one sister (Helen). After the eighth grade, he spent three years in the work force, including jobs in a steel foundry, selling papers, and in the Civilian Conservation Corps in Utah. Myslinski then belatedly continued his education at Steubenville High School, where he played football three years.