- Grew up in an Italian/Jewish immigrant neighbourhood in Brooklyn, New York, the son of banker George Burrows and Italian-born immigrant mother, Vincenza "Rose" D'Ambrosio.
- Studied electronic engineering at Yale University.
- Completed Officer Training School at Harvard and served in the Pacific Campaign during World War II. He retired from the Navy in 1946 with the rank of Lieutenant Commander.
- After the war, John moved to Los Angeles to be with his father who had become president of Allied Artists. His father got him into the motion picture business as a film distributor.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content