Born in Brooklyn, where he was a Dodger fan, he moved with his family to Los Angeles when he was 14, graduated from North Hollywood High School, and was offered a baseball scholarship by the University of Southern California's legendary coach, Rod Dedeaux.

[1] His baseball career would touch both his native and adopted cities: signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1952, he would make his only appearances for the parent team six years later, at the end of their first season in Los Angeles.

He climbed the ladder in the Dodger organization, winning 18 games (and losing eight) for the 1955 Mobile Bears of the Double-A Southern Association.

In his MLB debut September 13, a starting assignment against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Forbes Field, he lasted only one-third of an inning; of the five batters he faced, three made hits and a fourth took a base on balls.

The Los Angeles bullpen could not hold the advantage, though: Chicago rallied in the ninth inning to win 7–4[4] in what would be Mauriello's final big-league game.