Anthony Joseph Zerilli was born on October 24, 1927 to Josephine Finazzo and Joseph Zerilli. At the time of his birth, Tony's father was an up-and-coming member of the Eastside Mob under the direction of Angelo Meli and his cousin and brother-in-law William Tocco. Tony spent his teenage years working at the Detroit Italian-American Bakery in Roseville, Michigan. Like his cousin Giacomo Tocco, Tony graduated from the University of Detroit in 1949. In 1947, Tony reportedly become a made man in the Partnership by murdering Gust Andromalus in a Detroit basement.