Arun Gawli was born in [[PohegaonKopargaon]], [[Ahmednagar district]], [[Maharashtra]], [[India]]. He married Zubeida Mujawar,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Zaidi|first=S. Hussain|title=The rise and rise of Arun Gawli, the son of a mill worker and the terror of Byculla|url=https://scroll.in/reel/840580/the-rise-and-rise-of-arun-gawli-the-son-of-a-mill-worker-and-the-terror-of-byculla|access-date=2021-05-13|website=Scroll.in|date=14 June 2017 |language=en-US}}</ref> who later became Asha Gawli after marriage and [[List of converts to Hinduism from Islam|converted to Hinduism]]. She was a [[Member of the Legislative Assembly (India)|Member of the Legislative Assembly]] (MLA) for Maharashtra and they both have five children,<ref>{{Cite book|last=Khullar|first=Darshan|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3QmqCQAAQBAJ&pg=PA106|title=Pakistan Our Difficult Neighbour and India's Islamic Dimensions|date=2014-09-30|publisher=Vij Books India Pvt Ltd|isbn=978-93-82652-82-3|pages=[https://books.google.com/books?id=3QmqCQAAQBAJ&pg=PA106 106]|language=en|chapter=Part II: Hindu Husbands and Muslim Wives}}</ref> two sons and three daughters including Mahesh and Geeta, Yogita, Yatika<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vtd5tAEACAAJ |title=Mafia Queens of Mumbai|first1=S. Hussain|last1=Zaidi|first2=Jane|last2=Borges|date=1 January 2011|publisher=Westland|isbn=9789380283777|access-date=2 December 2016|via=Google Books }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=May 8, 2020|title=Watch: Wedding of don Arun Gawli's daughter a subdued affair within the walls of Dagdi Chawl|url=https://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/mumbai/other/watch-wedding-of-don-arun-gawlis-daughter-a-subdued-affair-within-the-walls-of-dagdi-chawl/articleshow/75628674.cms|access-date=2021-07-09|website=Mumbai Mirror|language=en}}</ref> Geeta is a first term ABS corporator from the [[Chinchpokli]] assembly constituency.<ref name=aa>{{Cite web|url=http://expressindia.indianexpress.com/latest-news/gawli-s-daughter-marries-developer/247339/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130711063127/http://expressindia.indianexpress.com/latest-news/gawli-s-daughter-marries-developer/247339/|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 July 2013|title=Gawli's Daughter Marries Developer|work=Express India|access-date=2 December 2016}}</ref>{{cbignore}} Gawli's nephew [[Sachin Ahir]] is an MLA and is the former Maharashtra Minister of State for Housing.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://archive.tehelka.com/story_main1.asp?filename=Ne040304dagdi.asp |title=Dagdi Chawl's Daddy Cool |work=Tehelka Archive |access-date=2 December 2016 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160820031013/http://archive.tehelka.com/story_main1.asp?filename=Ne040304dagdi.asp |archive-date=20 August 2016 }}</ref> Gawli's uncle Hukumchand Yadav was a legislator from [[Khandwa]] in [[Madhya Pradesh]].<ref name=aa/>
