As a child he was said to have witnessed a battle between the Suey Sings and the Kwong Docks Tongs in 1875 and studied how the outcome of the battle could have been saved. Becoming involved in San Francisco's underworld by 1885, Little Pete had become a well known Tong hatchetman involved in prostitution, illegal gambling, and opium peddling.
As a child, he was reported to have seen a conflict between the Suey Sings and the Kwong Docks Tongs in 1875 and learned how the battle's result might have been altered. By 1885, Little Pete became involved in San Francisco's criminal underworld as a well-known Tong enforcer engaged in prostitution, illegal gambling, and opium distribution.