Born in Villarosa, Sicily, LaRocca and his family emigrated to the United States in 1910, settling in Indiana County, Pennsylvania. As a young man, LaRocca went to work in the coal mines. In 1922, at age 20, he was arrested for assaulting a young woman and sentenced to three years in prison. LaRocca remained boss until his death from natural causes on December 3, 1984, at age 82. He was succeeded by Michael James Genovese as boss of the Pittsburgh mob. His son, John LaRocca, Jr., remained an influence in the Teamsters labor union in Pittsburgh.