Casella was born in St. Louis, Missouri. His rap sheet included larceny, lottery and homicide. Casella was once imprisoned for violation of narcotics laws and sentenced to 40 years in prison. He was a lieutenant of Philadelphia capo Marco Reginelli. He was released after serving 17 years of his 40 year sentence, just in time to bid for the boss position of the Philadelphia crime family after the murder of Angelo Bruno in 1980. He was a popular figure in the family who was deep in narcotics; which contradicted the image of Bruno.