Born in Zejtun on 8 December 1943.  Married to Miriam.  Father of two, grandfather of three. 

Joined the Public Service in June 1964, from where he retired after more than 41 years (December 2005), rising through the ranks, including that of Permanent Secretary, 29 years of which (1968-1997) attached to the Departments/Ministries entrusted with the social welfare services and social security of the Maltese Islands.  During his last 8 years in the Public Service (January 1998-December 2005), he served as Chief Electoral Commissioner and Chairperson of the Electoral Commission under whose direction the General Elections of 1998 and 2003, the European Union Referendum of 2003, the European Parliament Elections of 2004, and the various Local Council Elections between 1998 and 2005 were held.   

Mr De Gabriele’s post-retirement years away from the Public Service were marked, first by a 2-year work spell (between October 2013 and September 2015) as an Advisor to Identity Malta on matters related to the ID Cards Mass Renewal Project, and then by his appointment by the Prime Minister in February 2016 as Regulator of the Individual Investor Programme (since August 2020 restyled as the Granting of Citizenship for Exceptional Services) for a period of 2 years, to which post, to-date, he has successively been re-appointed every 2 years.