Born Josef Anton Sunega in what was then the Austria-Hungarian Empire, at the age of seven he emigrated to the United States in 1904 with his parents and three sisters, settling in Cleveland, Ohio.
Born Josef Anton Sunega in what was then the Austria-Hungarian Empire, at the age of eight he emigrated to the United States. Sailing on the SS Zeeland from Antwerp the family arrived in New York on September 4,1906 with his parents and four sisters, settling in Cleveland, Ohio.