Born on July 2, 1921, in New York City, Piccolo was the only son of Francesco Piccolo and Fannie Lanza. Frank Piccolo stood at 6 ft (1.8 m) tall and weighed 200 pounds (91 kg) with black hair, brown eyes, and had a husky build. He was married to Virginia Paglinco and was the father of four children. Piccolo and his family lived in Bridgeport, Connecticut.