Jody Casella: Hello, my name is Jody Casella. Jody is not a nickname even though it sounds like it might be short for something. Casella is Italian and someone told me once that it means "little house." Someone else told me it means "the knot hole in a tree." I like little house better. I do not have a middle name. When I was born, my mom decided she liked Jody Casella just the way it is. So, that is that.