[1] Born in Naples, Zerola began his career as a baritone and made his professional opera debut in 1898 at the Teatro Rossetti in Trieste as Tonio in Ruggero Leoncavallo's Pagliacci.

[1] He made his debut with the company in January 1909 at the Manhattan Opera House under conductor Giuseppe Sturani as Radames to the Aida of Mariette Mazarin and Amneris of Marguerite d'Alvarez.

He made his debut with that company as Canio in Pagliacci with Emma Trentini as Nedda at the Philadelphia Opera House on November 25, 1909.

[6] On 21 November 1910 Zerola sang Radames again for his debut with the Chicago Grand Opera Company with Jeanne Korolowicz as Aida.

In 1911-1912 he was committed to the Royal Opera House in London where he performed the roles of Riccardo in Verdi's Un ballo in maschera, Canio, Manrico, Otello, Radames, and Raoul de Nangis.