Anthony is the only son of the circus' lion tamer, the Great Gambino. After Gambino's wife died, he was forced to send the boy to grow up in Boston with his grandmother. The grandmother insisted that Gambino never see his son, although she never told Anthony this.
When he reached the age of 18, Anthony came to visit his father at the circus. He was initially hostile toward Gambino because he thought his father had abandoned him. When Joey told him the full story, Anthony decided to stay with his father. However, Gambino insisted that Anthony become a lion tamer like the other Gambino men. Tony, afraid, refused. However, when his father was forced to go into an abandoned mine to recover an escaped lion, Gambino was knocked out and Anthony forced the lion into its cage, saving Gambino's life. Despite that, Anthony became a singer with the circus band due to his experience in his high school glee club… but he remained with his father.
