John Carollo grew up in a small town in Sicily before immigrating to Brooklyn at the age of 14. There were no organized sports where he lived, a very small town, but all the boys loved to just kick a ball around together.

Upon his arrival in Brooklyn and enrollment in the local High School one year later, he was stunned by the school soccer teams, which he could not join because he had to work after school, but he played in as many games wherever and whenever. However, John could not hide his gift for soccer and was soon noticed by the High School Soccer Coach who tried to draft John for the school team.