The Mammoth Book of Celebrity Murders (60 page)

This challenge was to be a part in a weekend series called
Omnibus
, in which he acted alongside Leslie Nielsen and Anne Bancroft. His new “mentor” was the director, Yul
Brynner, and with Yul’s coaching Sal was to do well. From this success he was offered many other television roles. He was receiving good recognition and it was obvious that he was about to
hit the big time.

Sal was offered the role of young Chandler in the film
Six Bridges to Cross
– the role of adult Chandler was given to Tony Curtis – and this was the beginning of his movie
career. While filming, he auditioned for another role in the movie called
The Private War of Major Benson
; the part was the character of a cadet colonel and the star of the film was Charlton
Heston. Sal was successful and at the tender age of only 16 his career was in no doubt: he was able to act, dance and sing and had a huge female following thanks to his stunning good looks.

While still in Hollywood, he visited the Warner Brothers Studios to audition for a role in a movie called
Rebel Without a Cause
. The lead character, Jim Stark, was to be played by a new
actor, James Dean, and the female lead character, Judy, was to be played by a 16-year-old actress, Natalie Wood. After winning over the casting director, Nick Ray, Sal secured the role of Plato,
Jim Stark’s friend. He and Dean became friends both in character and off the set and would often spend time together after filming.

The movie’s strong teenage rebellion theme and the blatant homosexual desire between the two male characters proved a massive success around the world, shooting Dean and Mineo to stardom.
Dean, who had previously admitted that he was bisexual, encouraged Mineo to express his feelings towards him during the shooting of the film, in order to portray more genuine characters, something
that was not lost on the viewing audience. Many believed that the two men had a romantic relationship off screen, but this was never more than a rumour. It was years later that Sal admitted that he
was bisexual, but didn’t realize this until long after the filming of
Rebel Without a Cause
was completed, and by then it was too late as Dean was no longer around.

Sal’s next movie role was the part of Angel Obregon II in the movie
Giant
, which again starred his good friend James Dean, along with Rock Hudson and Elizabeth Taylor. He and James
were particularly close and, after the movie was completed, Dean helped him to get his next role. Shortly before the release of
Rebel Without a Cause
, Sal signed a contract to play the part
of Plato. The filming took place in Texas in a town called Marfa. Sal was only to act in a few scenes; to his disappointment, many were cut from the finished movie. He swiftly signed a contract
with MGM for his next movie,
Somebody Up There Likes Me
, in which he would star again alongside James Dean.

Tragically on 30 September 1955, just a few weeks after the completion of
Giant
, James Dean was killed in a car accident. This was a terrible shock for Sal, who had admired the talents
and acting skill of Dean, describing him as young, brilliant, shy and hating hypocrites. Sal even took up some of the hobbies Dean had introduced him to, including working out with weights, boxing
and playing the drums. Another love of his was waterskiing, which he was taught by Yul Brynner. The role of Rocky Graziano, which Dean was due to take in the new film was then given to the acting
newcomer Paul Newman.

It was while filming
Somebody Up There Likes Me
that Sal discovered he had been nominated for an Oscar for his role of Plato in
Rebel Without a Cause
. Despite being the youngest
person to be nominated for an Oscar for best supporting actor, he was not successful, losing out to Jack Lemmon for
Mr Roberts
. However, Sal managed to achieve critical acclaim, being
described as “brilliant” and “sensational”, and his popularity was soaring.

He continued his success by taking roles in movies and television dramas, notably one called
Dino
, which earned him an Emmy nomination. In the movie
Crime in the Streets
, Sal
played a resentful criminal and it was after its release that he earned the nickname “The Switchblade Kid”. During 1957, Sal recorded several records, which his already strong fan base
were ready to welcome with open arms. It didn’t take long for him to achieve a Top 10 hit, with his song “Start Moving”; in fact, this record was in the charts for over 13 weeks.
His album sales did well also, selling over a million copies and earning him a gold record.

During all this success, he didn’t forget his family. His mother, Josephine, managed and guided him, and his brothers and sisters also worked for him. After studying law at New York
University, Victor became Sal’s lawyer. Mike was always with him to offer a helping big-brother hand, while Sarina assisted him with the masses of fan letters which were constantly arriving.
By now Sal’s earnings were in excess of $200,000 a year and he was able to enjoy the luxuries that this provided. He bought his family a large home in Mamaronek, New York and for himself a
New York apartment, also renting a large house in Beverly Hills.

In 1960, he signed a contract to star as Dov Landau in the film
Exodus
, in what would be one of his most acclaimed roles. The other members of the cast included Paul Newman, Eva Marie
Saint, Ralph Richardson, Peter Lawford and Jill Haworth. The latter played Karen Hansen, Dov Landau’s love interest. Directed by Otto Preminger, this was a screen adaptation of the novel by
Leon Uris, telling the story of the Jewish people’s struggle for the liberation of Palestine following the Second World War. Sal’s character, Dov, was a Polish Jew making his way to
Palestine to create a Jewish homeland after having survived the atrocities of the Auschwitz concentration camp, only to be diverted and imprisoned by the British. The majority of the filming was on
location in Israel. It was during the filming of
Exodus
that Sal and Jill Haworth became romantically involved; they were together for a while after filming, but the romance faded. However,
the pair remained friends for years to come.

The film was released and was again well received. At 21 years of age, Sal gave a brilliant performance and was the only one who was nominated for an Oscar in the movie. It was his second
nomination for supporting actor. Sadly, again he was not to receive his prize, despite his confidence prior to the ceremony.

In the early 1960s, Sal was still acting, but not continuously as he had done previously. He found that he had time to spend enjoying himself and relaxing. He took pleasure in his hobbies, spent
time at home and, more intriguingly, started to discover his sexuality. He found himself to be more interested in men and had several short-lived homosexual relationships. During this time,
homosexuality was still frowned upon, and actors who displayed this side of their character soon became aware that they were limiting their acting range. Who wanted to see an openly homosexual man
cast as the lead in a romantic film? This also answers the question why many homosexual actors kept their private life strictly private – to name Rock Hudson for starters. With this in mind,
Sal started to be more discreet with his relationships, especially those with men.

The work gradually started to dry up and, for the first time, Sal found himself short of money. In a bid to keep himself from being financially embarrassed, he decided to sell many of his
possessions. The most difficult decision was having to sell the house which he had bought for his family, but these were dire times and he had to raise money by whatever means he could. Thankfully,
he was offered two movie roles including
The Greatest Story Ever Told
and
Who Killed Teddy Bear?
His earlier loss of money had not taught him any lessons; his healthy bank balance
would soon be diminished as he lavished gifts on his friends and treated himself to many luxuries, including a new motorcycle.

For the next few years, he spent his time earning money to enable himself to start spending again. He really needed to get his life back on track and decided to buy the rights to a play entitled
Fortune and Men’s Eyes
. This was the story of a man named Smitty, who suffered homosexual rape and degradation at the hands of other inmates while he was in prison for a minor offence.
Sal directed the play himself and started the process of auditioning the cast. He was very clear in his own mind regarding the type and look of the cast, and sought perfection in those who
auditioned for the play. For the leading role of Smitty, he cast a young 18-year-old actor named Don Johnson (who later went on to
Miami Vice
fame). Sal himself took the role of the
character Rocky.

The play opened at the Coronet Theatre in Los Angeles and received good reviews, commending Sal for his efforts in the production. A very strong scene in the play, which portrayed a brutal
homosexual rape, caused a great stir. As expected, it became of huge interest to the gay community. The play was deemed a successful hit and ran for over a year.

One of the worst situations a young man can find himself in must be at the bedside of a dying parent. Sal spent five days at his dying father’s side. Sal Sr., still only in his 50s, died
in 1973; he was laid to rest at the Gates of Heaven Cemetery in Hawthorne, New York. Sal gave a moving eulogy at his father’s funeral, and in his grief he decided that from that day he would
take life with both hands, because one never knows what might be waiting around the corner.

Over the next few years, Sal was having relationships almost exclusively with men, and was, when interviewed, openly admitting to being bisexual. He continued to take roles in television and
plays, but did not manage to achieve his former success. Rather than living the high life, as he had enjoyed in the past, the money was used primarily to maintain his standard of living and keep
him out of debt.

By 1976, Sal’s career was starting to pick up again and he was experiencing a “comeback”. He had won financial backing to direct his first movie, entitled
McCaffrey
. He
had also managed to get the role of Vito in a play called
P.S. Your Cat is Dead
; his character was, appropriately, a bisexual burglar. After the show opened in the Montgomery Playhouse in
San Francisco, Sal was to receive the reviews he was so desperate to hear – his acting skills were commended and his performance was described as brilliant. As the play was doing so well, it
was decided to move to the Westwood Playhouse in Los Angeles – which, fortunately for Sal, was only a few miles from his Hollywood apartment.

His life was truly coming together and Sal was now satisfied that he was no longer struggling to find the right job for the right price. His happiness was to end abruptly as on 12 February 1976
Sal was making his way home after rehearsals for
P.S. Your Cat is Dead
and was brutally attacked. He was viciously stabbed which pierced his heart and was left for dead.

A young child, Monica Merrem, who was in her bedroom at the time of the attack, recalled hearing voices from outside. “Oh, no!” a man shouted. “Oh, my God! No! Help me,
please!” She went to her window and was able to see a man running away; she described him as a pale white man.

Monica wasn’t the only person to be alerted; in another apartment, Ron Evans also heard a man screaming. He quickly ran to find out if he could be of assistance. When he reached the man,
who was now on the ground and bleeding, he immediately recognized his acquaintance Sal Mineo. He found Sal covered in blood, lying face down. He turned Sal over and, as he was obviously having
trouble breathing, offered mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. It wasn’t long before Ron was joined by others who had heard the commotion and the emergency services were summoned.

Unfortunately, by the time the ambulance arrived, it was too late – Sal had already passed away.

Several witnesses saw a man fleeing the scene of the murder, but their descriptions varied immensely. A security guard, Stephen Gustafson, recalls a white man with either dark blond or brown
hair. Another, Scott Hughes, thought the man was Italian or Mexican with dark curly hair, and believed that he made his getaway in a yellow Toyota.

When the police searched the body, they concluded that the death was not caused by a robbery, as Sal still had his money in his pocket, was wearing jewellery and his car keys were lying beside
his body.

Sal’s autopsy concluded that a stab wound to his heart caused his death. It was also noted that parts of his body, especially around the buttocks, contained small puncture wounds. Some of
these were explained by a former lover of Sal’s, a man named Michael Mason, who told police that Sal was having hormone injections to enable him to overcome his low libido. But it was
suggested that the other wounds may have been caused by intravenous drug use.

Five days after his death, Sal’s family arranged his funeral for 17 February at the Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church in Mamaronek. Hundreds of mourners came to pay their respects. Among
them were family, friends, fans and members of the entertainment industry, including Warren Beatty, Yul Brynner, David Cassidy, Dennis Hopper, Peter Law-ford, Paul Newman and Natalie Wood. Sal was
buried beside his beloved father, whose own funeral he had attended only a three years previously.

After a search of Sal’s apartment, police found a large amount of homosexual pornographic magazines and were coming to the conclusion that the murder was sexually related. They then
started their investigation by interviewing as many people as they could who had any connection with Sal, including his many colleagues in the entertainment industry.

Press speculation was immense and daily reports of the murder investigation were there for everybody to read. Public opinion varied wildly, but everybody wanted the murderer of the movie
heart-throb to be found and found quickly. However, this was not to prove the case.

Unfortunately, the investigation didn’t manage to produce any firm leads and for many months the police were unable to come up with a firm suspect. Then, out of the blue, several months
later, a fresh line of enquiry was opened as a new witness came forward with information which was to prove very interesting.