 Gabriele learned the basics of the art trade in the early 1970s from Freas in his Virginia Beach studio.In 1974 Gabriele's professional comic book art career started when he left his parents' home in Tidewater, Virginia, and sojourned to New York City, assisting Rich Buckler at Marvel Comics on uncredited work involving the Fantastic Four, Deathlok, and other assignments.By 1975 Gabriele had graduated to producing covers and splash pages for Marvel's British department while still working with Buckler.