Joseph Anton Maffei was born in Munich, in the Electorate of Bavaria, the son of an Italian tradesman from Verona.

His father came to Munich in order to run a tobacco wholesale business, that Joseph Anton Maffei continued.

In 1835 Maffei was one of the founding shareholders of the Bavarian Mortgage and Discount Bank (Bayerische Hypotheken- und Wechselbank).

Maffei was also a city councillor (Magistratsrat) in Munich and busied himself e.g. with the construction of the famous hotel, the Bayerischer Hof.

Today, Villa Maffei in Feldafing (on Lake Starnberg) houses a museum and exhibitions.