Caesar "Chester" LaMare was born Southern Sicily in 1886 inside a large family. In 1902 he arrived at Ellis Island, New York, after a long journey by boat. LaMare settled in Manhattan for a couple of years where he got involved in petty crimes such as theft. In 1910 he left New York and moved to Chicago. While being in Chicago he got in contact with Antonio Lombardo who at the time was an aide of the Unione Siciliane boss Mike Merlo. LaMare was said to be a very loyal and trustworthy man. In 1914 he was sent to New Orleans by Lombardo and Merlo to start a new social club. He only stayed in New Orleans for a few months. LaMare made claims that he enlisted in the military to fight during WWI in Europe. In 1918 he eventually headed for Motor City, Detroit.