Gettelman was born in Chicago, Illinois, and moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, at a young age.

He worked for the Electric Company for ten years, and was then appointed a deputy sheriff in Milwaukee County.

He led the sheriff's force present at the "Cudahy riots"—a violent clash resulting from a labor dispute in 1919.

[2] He resigned his Senate seat in April 1954 after he was appointed U.S. customs collector at Milwaukee by President Dwight D.

[3] He served in this role through the end of the Eisenhower administration and immediately began discussing a resumption of his political activities.