Teddy served as acting boss in the Colombo Committee/Ruling Panel for his boss and older brother, Carmine "Junior" Persico. Born in 1937 in Brooklyn, New York, Teddy was the youngest of three brothers. The Persico boys all went into criminal careers, with Carmine and Alphonse "Allie Boy" Persico joining the Profaci crime family in the 1950s. After two internal wars, and three different bosses, Carmine Persico became the Colombo boss in the early 1970s. Both Alphonse and Teddy were recognized as "made men" or full members, of the family under boss Joe Profaci and Joseph Colombo. By 1973, with Carmine's increased role in the family, both Teddy and Alphonse had become caporegimes, leading their own crews. In the early 1980s, Teddy became involved in a variety of criminal operations, including