Lou Volpe came from a large family with a rich underworld history. After three of his brothers were killed in early underworld strife in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the early 1930s, Lou and his brother Joe were quickly accepted and absorbed into what would become the LaRocca Family of Cosa Nostra.
Starting as a soldier, Volpe’s talent was quickly recognized, and he soon rose to a capo position in their borgata. His speciality was the illegal gambling rackets.