ʌv dʒˈuːɪʃ hˈɛɹɪɾɪdʒ, lˈɛftən wʌz bˈɔːɹn ɪn bɹˈʊklaɪn, mˌæsɐtʃˈuːsɪts, ænd kəmplˈiːɾᵻd hɪz bˈætʃəlɚz ɪn saɪkˈɑːlədʒi fɹʌm nˈɔːɹθiːstɚn jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi ɪn bˈɔstən ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti nˈaɪn.
Of Jewish heritage, Lefton was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, and completed his bachelor's in psychology from Northeastern University in Boston in 1969.