Bela Csidei was born into an aristocratic Hungarian family. When he was eighteen he fled to Austria, being chased by the secret police, and eventually migrated to Australia. He was sent first to Bonegilla, Victoria and later lived in Port Kembla, Sydney and Mount Isa. He returned to Sydney and developed a friendship with another migrant, Sir Peter Abeles. Csidei also became involved in criminal activities and relates these experiences in his autobiography, The Accidental Gangster.
