Lawrence Dentico is the son of Vito Antonio Dentico and Rose. He is the brother of Joseph born November 5, 1898 in Gioria Del Collo in Calabria, Italy and is the brother-in-law to Theresa Romano, the wife of his brother Joseph. In 1949 and in 1952, Dentico served brief prison sentences for selling heroin. During the 1950s, Dentico worked for boss Vito Genovese. In 1957, authorities suspected that Dentico provided the murder weapon and getaway car in the shooting death of mobster Johnny Earle, who was a close friend and partner of genovese soldier and labor racketeer George Barone, Dentico's mentor in the mob. In 1966, Dentico was arrested for loansharking and extortion rackets in Hoboken, New Jersey.