Steve Conte was born on January 16, 1920, in Gagliato, Italy. He came to the US with his family in 1926. They sailed to New York, where he spent his teenage years. During WWII he served in the Army Air Corps, where he was based in Europe. Soon after the war he married and had two children, Shirley and Bruce. Sometime in the late 1950s he divorced and focused on his career. His ex-wife and children moved to Las Vegas sometime later. At the time the family had been living in Los Angeles, where Steve continued to reside. One of his favorite hangouts was Schwab's on Sunset and La Cienega, known for its show business-based clientèle. In 1960 he had a son, Steve, who was put up for adoption, and who searched for and found him in 1992. Among family and close friends, he was known for his sense of humor and love of practical jokes.