Football was a passion for Michael Marella early on, first as a spectator and later as a player. He captained his 1964 Bridgeport Central High School team, so moving to the field as an official was a natural step in 1972. Toward that end, he joined the Fairfield County Football Officials Association before joining the Colonial Football Officials Association as a founding member. Working up the ranks from youth football to sub-varsity contests, Marella also worked many Bridgeport Buccaneer semi-professional contests. He has worked five CIAC playoff games during the course of his career, his first with the FCFOA in 1981. As a member of the Bridgeport Police Department since 1969, and later as Executive Director of the Bridgeport Police Athletic League (since 1989) Marella was instrumental in honoring Fairfield Seniors with the formation of the PAL All-Star game, a game he founded with former Trumbull coach Jerry McDougall and other area coaches. As a PAL Director he began the Bridgeport PAL Blue Knights Pop Warner program. As a member of the Police Athletic League, he has been honored as a National President, was the group's National Athletic Director, and was National Executive Director from 1981-1983. He served on the United States Olympic Committee from 1990-1996, and has been honored by various groups in and around the Bridgeport area for such things as the Barnum Festival. He was a past member of the City of Bridgeport's Mayor's Youth Advisory Board, and a past board member of Big Brothers-Big Sisters. In 1997 and 2008, he was honored for his work in the Park City with Michael J. Marella, Jr. Day. He is a former Civitans Club Policeman of the Year, named an Outstanding Young Man of America in 1982 and 1983, and was a Girls Club Volunteer of the Year in 1971 to name a few. He is married to the former Judith A Hull.