Scalice was born in 1893. At some point he emigrated to the U.S., settling in the Bronx. He operated his business from the Little Italy area in the Bronx. He also lived and raised his family in the City Island section of the Bronx. He was involved in many crimes, and became capo in the Brooklyn-based gang of Salvatore D'Aquila. After the murder of D'Aquila on October 10, 1928, the power in New York shifted to Joe Masseria Manhattan-based gang. The successor of D'Aquila, Alfred Mineo connected Masseria with the alliance, and came to conflict with Scalice.