on October 4, 1902. Several sources erroneously listed his birthday as October 5. He was the eldest of four children. His father, Joseph Feinberg, and mother, Fanny Lieberman, owned a watch repair and jewelry shop.

In his early childhood, Fine's arm was accidentally burned with hydrochloric acid that his father used to test jewelry for its gold content. Fine had picked up the bottle and, mistaking it for a beverage, raised it to his lips when his father noticed and knocked it out of his hand,