Herman was a smooth boxer and great body puncher. He was particularly skilled at inside fighting. He was born on February 12, 1896 in New Orleans, Louisiana to a family of Italian descent. Making an early start, he fought his first pro fight around 1912 at the age of only 16. According to boxing lore, Herman earned some of his living as a "bootblack" or shoe shine before making it as a boxer. Two years after his first bout, he held his own during a 10-round, no-decision bout against World bantamweight champion Kid Williams on June 20, 1914 at the Pelican Stadium in New Orleans, though losing the bout in the opinion of the local "Times-Picayune".