John Wayne Gacy was born on March 17, 1942 in Chicago, Illinois. He grew up in a middle class neighborhood. He lived with his parents and his three sisters.
Like most children his age, he took part-time jobs after school. He had everything from newspaper routes to working in a grocery store. He was also very involved in boy scouts. Gacy seemed to have a very normal childhood with the exception of his father, and a series of accidents that affected him, for the rest of his life. At the age of eleven, Gacy was playing outside on a swing set. He was hit on the head by a swing. The accident caused a blood clot in his brain. The clot was not discovered until the age of sixteen. At the age of seventeen, Gacy was diagnosed with a non-specific heart ailment. .
John Wayne Gacy Sr. was an abusive alcoholic, a wife beater, and would verbally assault his children. Gacy loved his father and wanted desperately to gain his devotion and attention. Gacy Sr. wanted and believed that his son should be strong, and aggressive. But instead of being aggressive or strong, Gacy was more feminine. Gacy tried constantly to prove to his father that he was a real man, to his father. .
After Gacy Sr. passed away, John Wayne Gacy, Struggled to overcome his emotions, Gacy felt that he had let his father down. Gacy attended four high schools during his senior period alone. He eventually dropped out of school all together, only months before graduation. .
Gacy then became very involved in his community. He joined into the Chi Rio Club, the catholic inter-club council, and the Federal civil defense. As well as the holy name society and the Jaycees. .
Rumors of Gacy's alleged homosexuality began to arise. Allegations were beginning to be made. In the spring of 1968 Gacy, was accused, and brought before a grand Jury. The charges brought against him Sodomy. Gacy admitted after months of trials. He then received ten years at the Iowa State Reformatory.