His girlfriend was hit on by Charlestown mobster Georgie McLaughlin in 1961, setting off the Boston Irish gang war of the early 1960s. Rocco himself was picked up as a suspect in the murder of Bernie McLaughlin, but never charged.
Wife Sandie Garrett was a former professional square dancer and night club performer who later became a screenwriter. She died at age 59 after a four-year battle with cancer in 2002.