Nicolo Licata was born on February 20, 1897 in the small Italian town of Camporeale in Sicily (although his surname may suggest family origins in Licata). He was the son of Colagero and Vita, and had six brothers and two sisters. According to his records at Ellis Island, he boarded the Sant' Anna in Palermo at age 16 with $25. On December 5, 1913, Licata arrived in the United States and joined his brother Leonardo in Brooklyn. He later legally anglicised his first name to "Nick". During the 1920s Licata became involved in bootlegging in Detroit during the prohibition era. He eventually became a made man in the Detroit crime family known as the Detroit Partnership. He left for Los Angeles after offending its boss, Joe Zerilli. He endeared himself to L.A. Boss Jack Dragna who was able to con