[1] Merola went to public schools in the Bronx and graduated from New York University, where he played halfback on the college football team.

[2] He enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps in 1941 and became a combat navigator, flying a total of 55 missions into territory under occupation by Nazis in Europe.

[2] He was elected as a Democrat to the New York City Council in November 1963, and was re-elected two times, representing the Bronx from January 1964 to December 1972.

[2] Merola was first elected Bronx County District Attorney in November 1972, and was re-elected three times, serving a total of 15 years until his death in October 1987.

[3] Another notable case during his tenure was the prosecution of former United States Secretary of Labor Raymond J. Donovan on charges that he stole $7.4 million from a subway construction project.