Ilario Zannino was born in Swampscott, Massachusetts to Joseph Zannino and Isabella LaGrada. He stood at 5'7 and weighed 160 pounds with brown eyes and dark brown hair. He is the husband of Isabella Tawa. He was one of the richest mobsters in the New England mob. The Boston Globe stated that that Zannino had a wallet that looks like the inside of the New England Merchants Bank vault and a bookmaking and loansharking operation more successful than most American car companies. He was often found bouncing with Stephen Flemmi. He lived for a time in Franklin, MA and graduated from Franklin High School in 1938. In his high school yearbook at graduation he stated intentions to attend medical school. His classmates called him "Zip" which later become ironically the same nickname of FBI Special Ag