Born Giovanni Narcchione in Cleveland, Nardi began his mob work as an enforcer for the local vending machine workers union. He was the cousin of Anthony Delsanter, brother of Nicholas Nardi, a member of the Los Angeles crime family, and father of John Nardi, Jr. and Carol Nardi. Nardi would become a representative of his uncle Anthony Milano, a retired Consigliere from the Cleveland crime family. He earned his first police record entry in 1939 at the age of twenty three. He had been employed by vending workers union to sell the services of their repair technicians. Sometimes he was too enthusiastic. When Nardi threatened a bar owner with bodily harm, the then Safety Director Elliot Ness ordered him to be arrested. Eventually, the charges were dropped. Nardi soon became business partners wi