Although Buz's actual birth date is unknown, it was sometime around September 1937. He spent his early childhood in an orphanage, the St. Francis Home for Foundlings. Later, he grew up in the Hell's Kitchen section of New York City. Buz's troubled early youth led to his involvement in juvenile delinquency and street gangs. However, Buz was eventually able to escape this life due to the intervention of two individuals. One was a dedicated social worker named Chuck Brennan. The other was a shipping company owner named Lee Stiles who gave Buz a job on one of his barges. Buz became close friends with his employer's Ivy League son Tod (portrayed by Martin Milner), who worked under Buz's supervision on a barge each summer. Following the death of the elder Stiles in 1960, it was revealed that he was bankrupt. Virtually his sole legacy to Tod was a brand new Chevrolet Corvette. Buz and Tod then teamed up to seek their fortune, traveling throughout America and taking various odd jobs.