Sabella was born in Castellammare del Golfo, Sicily, on July 7, 1891, and became a butcher's apprentice as a young boy.
In 1912, Sabella arrived in Brooklyn, New York and joined the Salvatore D'Aquila criminal organization, which consisted of many other Castellammarese immigrants.
Sabella would train future mob bosses John Avena and Angelo Bruno to run the family.
That same year, at age 40, Sabella retired from organized crime and permanently passed control of the family to Avena.
The reason for Sabella's retirement is unclear; the recent carnage of the Castellammarese War may have prompted him to get out for his own safety.