[1] Peter J. Tobin was born and raised in the Bronx borough of New York City by his two Irish immigrant parents.
After graduating from St. Nicholas of Tolentine in the Bronx, he planned to work during the day and attend school at night at Manhattan College.
He was unsure at the time about a field of study, but a quick influence from one of his professors made him enroll as an accounting major at the College of Business Administration.
He began his career at Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Company, where he stayed until 1972 when he moved to Manufacturers Hanover Trust Branch Bank.
[citation needed] He became a dean at St. John's University, and continued his business role by serving on multiple corporate boards.
During his time there he added 13 new programs, hired new faculty and renewed AACSB accreditation by the Internal Association for Management Education.