John Rinaldi grew up in Newark, New Jersey until he was seven. Then his family moved to Florida. By fifth grade he began skipping classes. He finished the 7th grade but quit mid-year during his 8th grade. At 16, he went to New York to do a job painting the interior of UPS buildings, where a conveyor belt caught his left arm and crushed it in 17 places, leaving a permanent deformity.

When the Percocets he was prescribed ran out he started to use heroin. After cleaning up, he founded a moving company and started the band Letch Patrol. The busines folded when Chicken was charged for felony tax evasion. He left Letch Patrol and begain to play guitar for GG Allin’s band. His best friend Chuck, also from Letch Patrol, died of an overdose. (He became close to Chuck’s parents, who now treat him like a son).