Sergio Maranghi was born and raised in Florence, Italy. Maranghi moved to the United States in January 1973. He first settled in New York City and developed close ties to some members of the Gambino Crime Family. Five years later, he moved to the San Francisco Bay Area. Maranghi was involved in drug trafficking, money laundering and illegal gambling. He also dealt in stolen merchandise. Mafia soldier AL LaRocca sponsored Maranghi's membership into the San Francisco mafia organization in 1982. Maranghi owned and operated a small pizza place called the Anchor Bay Cafe until selling it to Vince Iacolino in October 1983. On December 14, 1988, he was arrested for being a ring leader in a large cocaine dealing operation at the Portofino Cafe in North Beach. He was convicted and sentenced to three years in a California State Prison. Maranghi was released on parole in July 1990. His next meeting with the law came in October 1991. This time he decided to become a government informant instead of facing a very long prison sentence for selling 22 pounds of cocaine to an undercover cop. He enabled the FBI to arrest 13 underworld figures. Although Maranghi repeatedly been offered status in the government's Witness Protection Program, which would have meant a steady paycheck from Law Enforcement, he didn't like the idea of spending the rest of his life in hiding. Maranghi spent two years in Italy before moving back to the Bay Area.