His maternal uncle owned and operated this foundry, which produced some of the most notable bronze sculptures of the 20th century, such as the Heisman Trophy, the statue of Thomas Jefferson in the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C., the Iwo Jima Memorial in Washington, D.C., the statue of Atlas at Rockefeller Center, New York, and numerous other iconic pieces.
Consequently, the high school guidance counselor recommended Cifarelli pursue a career involving manual labor and upon graduation gave him an application to the Sanitation Department for the City of New York.
During this period Cifarelli, in collaboration with others, became involved developing and testing the gastroscope, the medical device now commonly used to screen patients for colon cancer.
In 1966, recognizing the dire need created by the Vietnam War for physicians in the military, Cifarelli voluntarily enlisted in the United States Army.
During that period he was named Chief of Medicine and later Commander of the 349th General Hospital in Los Angeles, a unit called to serve in the Persian Gulf War.
He also commanded the 458th MASH Unit and later served as a Consultant to the U.S. Army Surgeon General, obtaining a top secret clearance at the Pentagon.
At Good Samaritan in 1978 Cifarelli met and befriended Ferdinand Waldo Demara, "the Great Imposter," who was serving as the hospital's chaplain.
He ultimately attained the rank of full clinical professor at UCI Medical School and at COMP and held those positions until his death.
In the mid-1970s Cifarelli began attending night school at the Western State College of Law, while continuing his busy career as a physician during the day.
Dr. Cifarelli became actively involved with the American College of Legal Medicine, educating practicing physicians and attorneys about Bio-Ethics and the right to death with dignity.
He ascended to the rank of President of the American College of Legal Medicine in 2005 and was honored with the organization's gold medal for lifetime achievement in March 2008.