As a young man, he started working in the Kansas City criminal organization, which was run by his uncle, Nicholas Civella.
Carl put Anthony in charge of running the organization's gambling interests, which included the Tropicana, Fremont, and Stardust casinos in Las Vegas, Nevada.
After his conviction, Carl passed control of the Kansas City organization to Anthony, who would run it from prison through acting boss William "Willie the Rat" Cammisano.
Despite an appeal to president Bill Clinton, Anthony Civella was denied permission to attend his father's funeral.
In 2006, at age 75, Anthony Civella died of cardiac problems while golfing in Arizona.