Bommarito was born in St. Louis, Missouri where he was a member of the "Russo Gang", a powerful gang that would later merge with others to form the St. Louis crime family. Bommarito had an extensive rap sheet that included arrests for extortion, violation of Prohibition and state gambling laws, assault, carrying concealed weapons and murder. Bommarito remained a prominent underworld figure in St. Louis before moving to Detroit and becoming a powerful member of the Detroit crime family, also known as the "Detroit Partnership".