Leslie Vernon's real name is Leslie Mancuso. He was born and raised in Reno, Nevada. There is very little information available concerning Leslie's early life, but it is believed that he began to develop homicidal tendencies at a very young age. As a child, Leslie took therapy sessions from a man named Doctor Halloran. As he grew older, Leslie wished to pursue a career as a serial killer, patterning himself after the immortalized legendary slashers of old such as Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger and Michael Myers. He knew that Doctor Halloran would attempt to stop him, so he took out a restraining order against him.