Carlo was prominent among the nobility of Italy, having held high honors in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies until its fall in 1861 and thereafter becoming a leader figure among those who sought to restore it.

[4] Upon his Francesco's death on 16 April 1877, Carlo inherited father's titles, including not only Montemiletto but also various other fiefs throughout Italy, and claims.

He had for instance in his youth been made a gentleman of the chamber by Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies.

After his father's death, Carlo rose to be considered a leader among the Bourbon legitimists who sought to restore the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.

[2][b] With Carlo's death the Tocco family, which had originated eight or seven centuries prior and had once ruled the Despotate of Epirus, was rendered extinct.