He was involved in the development of Maltese military and police forces; he also convinced the British of the value of using anti-French Mediterranean levies.

What seems certain is that his direct line descendants resettled in England and at least two male successors used the title Count Rivarola (referring to its derivation as bestowed by the Holy Roman Emperor).

[7] Rivarola proved and admirable recruiter and organiser moving as he did from the Royal Corsican Rangers[8] to form the Sicilian Regiment.

It has been postulated that the effects of the bubonic plague outbreak across Malta would have been considerably worse had it not been for Maitland empowering Rivarola to impose martial law and strict containment strategies on disease locales.

[18] Rivarola also played a critical role in dealing with and containing the spread of the Bubonic Plague on the island of Cephalonia (then part of his bailiwick), again Sir Thomas Maitland was fully content that the methods used previously on Malta would be used here.