Born in Rochester, New York, Telesca received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Rochester in 1952 and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Buffalo Law School in 1955.
He was a judge of the Surrogate Court in Monroe County, New York from 1973 to 1982.
[2] On March 11, 1982, Telesca was nominated by President Ronald Reagan to a seat on the United States District Court for the Western District of New York vacated by Judge Harold P. Burke.
He served as a Judge of the Alien Terrorist Removal Court from the establishment of that court in 1996 until 2015, being initially appointed and reappointed by Chief Justice William Rehnquist and subsequently being reappointed two additional times by Chief Justice John Roberts.
[2] Telesca announced on January 8, 2020 that he planned to assume inactive senior status on May 3, 2020.