José Piveta was born in Pitangueiras, São Paulo, Brazil, on 18 February 1916, to parents Carlos Piveta and Josefina Cramasque. He is of Italian descent. His mother passed away when he was 2 years old, and his father passed away when he was 15. He grew up working on the farm since his teenage years. Despite facing difficulties after the loss of his parents, he found a job as an administrator at Fazenda Santa Alice in Ralston, where he worked for 24 years.