Corallo was born in New York City in 1913 and grew up in the Italian neighborhood of East Harlem. Corallo got his nickname, "Tony Ducks" by his ability to avoid, or "duck," subpoenas and convictions during a criminal career that stretched seven decades. Corallo was a quiet, unassuming man who enjoyed gardening, opera, and pasta. In his later years, Corallo owned a luxurious home in Oyster Bay Cove, New York. Corallo was married and had a son and a daughter.