Even though his family hailed from French Corsica, because of his Italian surname (typical of Corsicans) he had the distinction of being the first Italian-American admiral in the United States Navy.

At the outbreak of the American Civil War he served in the steam sloop Lancaster and later became the executive officer of the Chippewa in the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron.

He commanded the gunboats Chocura and Port Royal, and was commended for his conduct in the Battle of Mobile Bay under Admiral David Farragut on August 5, 1864.

In later years he commanded receiving ships Colorado and Lancaster, and was present at the bombardment of Alexandria, Egypt, in 1882.

In 1893 he was made Commander-in-Chief of the Naval Review Fleet on the Hudson River and then commandant of the New York Navy Yard.