Infelise was born In Chicago. He first became an associate of James "Turk" Torello, who was a mob hitman. Infelise rose to the heights of the Chicago mob with a combination of brutality and ruthlessness unequaled by few of his peers. In April 1956, Chicago police were conducting a surveillance of a garage at the rear of 5037 W. Oakdale in Chicago. The garage contained more than $100,000 worth of stolen drugs. The owner had rented space to Thomas Gateo, who was actually Torello. On April 26, Torello, Infelise and two other men, entered the garage and were arrested but later released. Infelise would hangout at a restaurant on North Avenue, Melrose Park. During his mob career he was arrested more than a dozen times for murder, burglary and as a prime suspect in several arsons.