Editing Sal Mineo

{{Short description|American actor (1939–1976)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Sal Mineo
| image              = Sal Mineo 6 Allan Warren.jpg
| caption            = Mineo in 1973
| birth_name         = Salvatore Mineo Jr.
| birth_date         = {{Birth date|1939|1|10|mf=y}}
| birth_place        = [[New York City]], U.S.<!--No boroughs/neighborhoods, just cities per format.-->
| death_date         = {{Death date and age|1976|2|12|1939|1|10|mf=y}}
| death_place        = [[West Hollywood, California]], U.S.
| death_cause        = Murder (stab wound to the heart)
| resting_place      = [[Gate of Heaven Cemetery (Hawthorne, New York)|Gate of Heaven Cemetery]], [[Hawthorne, New York]], U.S.
| known_for          = {{hlist|''[[Rebel Without a Cause]]''|''[[Exodus (1960 film)|Exodus]]''}}
| other_names        = The Switchblade Kid<ref name="Bell" />
| occupation         = Actor
| years active       = 1951–1976
| partner            = {{plainlist|
* Jill Haworth (1960–1964)
* Courtney Burr III (1970–1976)
}}
}}
'''Salvatore Mineo Jr.''' (January 10, 1939 – February 12, 1976) was an American actor. He was best known for his role as John "Plato" Crawford in the drama film ''[[Rebel Without a Cause]]'' (1955), which earned him a nomination for the [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]] at age 17, making him the [[List of oldest and youngest Academy Award winners and nominees#Youngest nominees 4|fifth-youngest]] nominee in the category.

Mineo also starred in films such as ''[[Crime in the Streets]]'', ''[[Giant (1956 film)|Giant]]'' (both 1956), ''[[Exodus (1960 film)|Exodus]]'' (1960), for which he won a [[Golden Globe]] and received a second Academy Award nomination, ''[[The Longest Day (film)|The Longest Day]]'' (1962), [[John Ford]]'s final western ''[[Cheyenne Autumn]]'' (1964) and ''[[Escape from the Planet of the Apes]]'' (1971).

== Early life and education ==
Mineo was born in [[The Bronx, New York City]], the son of coffin makers Josephine (née Alvisi; 1913–1989) and Salvatore Mineo Sr (1913–1972).<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GFU-J_W8uRYC&q=Josephine+salvatore+mineo&pg=PA245 |title=Guía del cine clásico: Protagonistas – Antonio Mendez – Google Books |date= January 2006|isbn=9788498213881 |access-date=April 16, 2012|last1=Mendez |first1=Antonio |publisher=Vision Libros }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dTKfEQmAnFkC |title=Sal Mineo: A Biography| last =Michaud|first =Michael Gregg |publisher=Three Rivers Press |date= 2011|isbn=9780307716675|access-date=August 9, 2018}}</ref> He was of [[Sicilian Americans|Sicilian descent]]; his father was born in Italy and his mother, of Italian origin, was born in the United States. Mineo's sister Sarina (1941–2024), brothers Michael (1937–1984) and Victor (1935–2015) were also actors. He attended the Quintano School for Young Professionals<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7_7xWszDkHwC&q=sal+mineo+quintano%27s&pg=PA22|title=I, Rhoda|first=Valerie|last=Harper|date=January 15, 2013|publisher=Simon & Schuster|isbn=9781451699487|via=Google Books}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XxNkDwAAQBAJ&q=sal+mineo+quintano%27s&pg=PA66|title=Rock and Roll Explorer Guide to New York City|first1=Mike|last1=Katz|first2=Crispin|last2=Kott|date=June 1, 2018|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=9781493037049|via=Google Books}}</ref> and was one of the few Italian-American actors of his era to keep his surname, saying he was proud of his heritage and identity.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sal Mineo Newstand |url=http://www.salmineo.com/newstand/inter_hadleigh.html |access-date=April 22, 2022 |website=Salmineo.com}}</ref>

==Acting career==
===Child actor===
Mineo's mother enrolled him in dancing and acting school at an early age.<ref name="Noe">
{{cite web
  | url = http://www.crimemagazine.com/salmineo.htm
  | last = Noe   | first = Denise
  | title = The Murder of Sal Mineo
  | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080606191553/http://www.crimemagazine.com/salmineo.htm
  | archive-date= June 6, 2008}}</ref> He had his first stage appearance in [[Tennessee Williams]]'s play ''[[The Rose Tattoo]]'' (1951).<ref name="Holliday">{{cite glbtq.com
 |last         = Holliday
 |first        = Peter J.
 |article      = Mineo, Sal (1939–1976)
 |article-url  = http://www.glbtq.com/arts/mineo_s.html
 |date         = November 8, 2008
|orig-year    = 2002
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20120525114314/http://www.glbtq.com/arts/mineo_s.html
 |archive-date = May 25, 2012
}}</ref> He also played the young prince opposite [[Yul Brynner]] in the stage [[musical theater|musical]] ''[[The King and I]]''. Brynner took the opportunity to help Mineo better himself as an actor.<ref name="Bell">{{cite web
 |last        = Bell
 |first       = Rachael
 |title       = The Switchblade Kid: The Life and Death of Sal Mineo
 |url         = http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/celebrity/sal_mineo/2.html
 |access-date  = July 20, 2008
|url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20080629084259/http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/celebrity/sal_mineo/2.html
 |archive-date = June 29, 2008
}}</ref>

On May 8, 1954, Mineo portrayed the Page (lip-synching to the voice of [[mezzo-soprano]] Carol Jones) in the [[NBC]] Opera Theatre's production of [[Richard Strauss]]'s ''[[Salome (opera)|Salome]]'' (in English translation), set to [[Oscar Wilde]]'s [[Salome (play)|play]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kirksvilledailyexpress.com/article/20120310/BLOGS/303109930|title=Comet Over Hollywood's Gone Too Soon: Sal Mineo|website=Kirksville Daily Express – Kirksville, MO|access-date=June 13, 2020|archive-date=June 13, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613064136/https://www.kirksvilledailyexpress.com/article/20120310/BLOGS/303109930|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dTKfEQmAnFkC&q=sal+mineo+salome&pg=PA390|title=Sal Mineo: A Biography|first=Michael Gregg|last=Michaud|date=June 13, 2011|publisher=Three Rivers Press|isbn=9780307716675|via=Google Books}}</ref> [[Elaine Malbin]] performed the title role, and [[Peter Herman Adler]] conducted [[Kirk Browning]]'s production.

As a teenager, Mineo appeared on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]'s musical quiz program ''Jukebox Jury''. Mineo made several television appearances before making his screen debut in the [[Joseph Pevney]] film ''[[Six Bridges to Cross]]'' (1955). He beat out [[Clint Eastwood]] for the role.<ref>{{cite book |last= McGilligan |first= Patrick |title= Clint: The Life and Legend |publisher= [[HarperCollins]] |year=1999|isbn=0-00-638354-8|location=London|page=63}}</ref> Mineo also successfully auditioned for a part in ''[[The Private War of Major Benson]]'' (1955), as a cadet colonel opposite [[Charlton Heston]].<ref name="EllisEllis2005">{{cite book|last1=Ellis|first1=Chris|last2=Ellis|first2=Julie|title=The Mammoth Book of Celebrity Murder: Murder Played Out in the Spotlight of Maximum Publicity|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=V9pAof9Hs2YC&pg=PA415|access-date=January 14, 2011|date=July 27, 2005|publisher=Berghahn Books|isbn=978-1-57181-140-0|page=415}}</ref>

===''Rebel Without a Cause'' and stardom===
[[File:Sal Mineo, Sue George, and John Saxon.jpg|thumb|Mineo (left) with Sue George and [[John Saxon]] in a publicity still photo for ''[[Rock, Pretty Baby]]'' (1956).]]
Mineo's breakthrough as an actor came in ''[[Rebel Without a Cause]]'' (1955), in which he played John "Plato" Crawford, a sensitive teenager smitten with main character Jim Stark (played by [[James Dean]]).<ref name="Holliday"/> Mineo's performance resulted in an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor and he became the fifth-youngest nominee in the category, at the age of 17.<ref name="Bell"/> Mineo's biographer Paul Jeffers recounted that Mineo received thousands of letters from young female fans, was mobbed by them at public appearances, and further wrote: "He dated the most beautiful women in [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]] and New York City."<ref>{{cite book
  | last = Jeffers
  | first = Paul
  | title = Sal Mineo: His Life, Murder, and Mystery
  | publisher = [[Carroll & Graf Publishers]]
  | location = New York
  | year = 2000
  | isbn = 0-7867-0777-1
  | url = https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780786707775
  }}</ref>

In ''[[Giant (1956 film)|Giant]]'' (1956), Mineo played Angel Obregon II, a Mexican boy killed in World War II. Many of his subsequent roles were variations of his role in ''Rebel Without a Cause'', and he was typecast as a troubled teen.<ref name="Smith">{{Cite magazine
  | last = Smith
  | first = Laura C.
  | title = Untimely End for a 'Rebel'
  | url = https://ew.com/article/1995/02/10/sal-mineos-untimely-death/
  | access-date = July 20, 2008
| magazine = Entertainment Weekly
  | date = February 10, 1995
| archive-date = May 19, 2008
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080519194621/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,296009,00.html
  | url-status = live
  }}</ref> In the [[Disney]] adventure ''[[Tonka (film)|Tonka]]'' (1958), for instance, Mineo starred as a young [[Sioux]] named White Bull who traps and domesticates a clear-eyed, spirited wild horse named Tonka that becomes the famous [[Comanche (horse)|Comanche]], the lone survivor of [[Custer's Last Stand]].
By the late 1950s, Mineo was a major celebrity. He was sometimes referred to as the "Switchblade Kid", a nickname he earned from his role as a criminal in the movie ''[[Crime in the Streets]]'' (1956).<ref name="Bell"/>

In 1957, Mineo made a brief foray into pop music by recording a handful of songs and an album. Two of his singles reached the Top 40 in the United States' [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]].<ref name="minibio">{{cite web|url=http://www.salmineo.com/biopt2.html|title=Sal Mineo Mini biography|website=Salmineo.com|access-date=July 25, 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509134703/http://www.salmineo.com/biopt2.html|archive-date=May 9, 2008}}</ref> The more popular of the two, "[[Start Movin' (In My Direction)]]", reached No. 9 on ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]''{{'}}s pop chart. It sold over one million copies and was awarded a [[gold disc]].<ref name="The Book of Golden Discs">{{cite book
| first= Joseph
| last= Murrells
| year= 1978
| title= The Book of Golden Discs
| edition= 2nd
| publisher= Barrie and Jenkins Ltd
| location= London
| page= [https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/94 94]
| isbn= 0-214-20512-6
| url= https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/94
}}</ref> He starred as drummer [[Gene Krupa]] in the movie ''[[The Gene Krupa Story]]'' (1959), directed by Don Weis with [[Susan Kohner]], [[James Darren]], and [[Susan Oliver]]. He appeared as the celebrity guest challenger on the June 30, 1957, episode of ''[[What's My Line?]]''<ref>What's My Line? – Sal Mineo; Ernie Kovacs (panel); Martin Gabel (panel) (June 30, 1957)</ref>

Mineo made an effort to break his [[typecasting]].<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=http://www.crimemagazine.com/murder-sal-mineo-0|title=The Murder of Sal Mineo Crime Magazine|website=Crimemagazine.com}}</ref> In addition to his roles as an Indian brave in ''[[Tonka (film)|Tonka]]'' (1958),<ref name="auto"/> and a Mexican boy in ''[[Giant (1956 film)|Giant]]'' (1956),<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MGQEAAAAMBAJ&q=mineo+mexican+giant&pg=PT84|title=The Advocate|date=August 19, 1997|publisher=Here Publishing|via=Google Books}}</ref> he played a Jewish Holocaust survivor in ''[[Exodus (1960 film)|Exodus]]'' (1960); for his work in ''Exodus'', he won a [[Golden Globe Award]] and received his second Academy Award nomination for [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/Movies/12/22/sal.mineo/index.html|title=Book helps rediscover murdered Hollywood star|publisher=CNN}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/national-international/sal_mineo__watch_the_trailer_for_james_franco_s_sal_biopic/1963959/|title=Watch the Trailer for James Franco's "Sal" Biopic|website=Nbcchicago.com|date=October 2, 2013 }}</ref><ref name="auto"/>

=== Career shift ===
By the early 1960s, Mineo was becoming too old to play the type of role that had made him famous, and rumors of his homosexuality led to his being considered inappropriate for leading roles. For example, he auditioned for [[David Lean]]'s film ''[[Lawrence of Arabia (film)|Lawrence of Arabia]]'' (1962) but was not hired.<ref name="Noe"/> Mineo appeared in ''[[The Longest Day (film)|The Longest Day]]'' (1962), in which he played a private killed by a German after the landing in [[Sainte-Mère-Église]]. Mineo was baffled by his sudden loss of popularity, later saying: "One minute it seemed I had more movie offers than I could handle; the next, no one wanted me."<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dTKfEQmAnFkC&q=sal+mineo+one+minute+I+seemed&pg=PA228|title=Sal Mineo: A Biography|first=Michael Gregg|last=Michaud|date=June 13, 2011|publisher=Three Rivers Press|isbn=9780307716675|via=Google Books}}</ref>

[[File:Sal Mineo B&W Allan Warren.jpg|thumb|Mineo in 1973, photographed by [[Allan Warren]]]]

Mineo was the model for [[Harold Stevenson]]'s painting ''The New Adam'' (1963). Now in the Guggenheim Museum's permanent collection, the painting is considered "one of the great American [[Nude (art)|nudes]]".<ref name="Vogel">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/30/arts/design/30voge.html|title=Exposure for a Nude |last=Vogel|first=Carol|access-date=July 22, 2008 | work=The New York Times | date=September 30, 2005}}</ref> Mineo also appeared on the Season 2 episode of ''[[The Patty Duke Show]]'': "Patty Meets a Celebrity" (1964).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/Patty-Duke-Show-Season/dp/B002WIDRLC|title=The Patty Duke Show: Season 2|website=Amazon |date=February 9, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/30/arts/television/video-remembering-patty-duke.html|title=Video: Remembering Patty Duke|first=Jeremy|last=Egner|work=The New York Times |date=March 30, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4mvOo9zsls|title=The Patty Duke Show S2E19 Patty Meets a Celebrity|date=February 14, 2017 |via=YouTube}}</ref><ref>Patty Meets a Celebrity, Episode 55 Original Air Date January 20, 1965 [[List of The Patty Duke Show episodes]]</ref>

Mineo's role as a [[stalker]] in ''[[Who Killed Teddy Bear]]'' (1965), which co-starred [[Juliet Prowse]], did not seem to help his career. Although his performance was praised by critics, he found himself typecast again—this time as a deranged criminal.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://stlukestheatre.com/2016/01/18/2-nights-only-the-sal-mineo-story-rebel-with-a-cause-feb-9th-10-2016/|title=CLOSED – The Sal Mineo Story "Rebel with A Cause" – Feb 9th &10, 2016|date=January 18, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dTKfEQmAnFkC&q=sal+mineo+typecast&pg=PP3|title=Sal Mineo: A Biography|first=Michael Gregg|last=Michaud|date=June 13, 2011|publisher=Three Rivers Press|isbn=9780307716675|via=Google Books}}</ref> The high point of this period was his portrayal of Uriah in ''[[The Greatest Story Ever Told]]'' (1965).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=DS19621124.2.47&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN--------1|title=Desert Sun 24 November 1962 — California Digital Newspaper Collection|website=Cdnc.ucr.edu}}</ref> Mineo guest-starred in an episode of the TV series ''[[Combat!]]'' in 1966, playing the role of a GI wanted for murder.<ref>{{cite web|last=Davidsmeyer|first=Jo|title=Nothing to Lose|url=http://www.jodavidsmeyer.com/combat/episodes/nothing_to_lose.html|work=Combat! Fan Site|access-date=January 15, 2013}}</ref> He did two more appearances on the same show, including appearing in an installment with [[Fernando Lamas]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dTKfEQmAnFkC&q=sal+mineo+fernando&pg=PA415|title=Sal Mineo: A Biography|first=Michael Gregg|last=Michaud|date=June 13, 2011|publisher=Three Rivers Press|isbn=9780307716675|via=Google Books}}</ref>

In 1969, Mineo returned to the stage to direct a Los Angeles production of the gay-themed play ''[[Fortune and Men's Eyes]]'' (1967), featuring then-unknown [[Don Johnson]] as Smitty and Mineo as Rocky. The production received positive reviews, although its expanded [[prison rape]] scene was criticized as excessive and [[gratuitous]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/notes/don-johnson-fan-page/interview-with-don-johnson-age-20-by-marvin-jones/283518268402182/|title=INTERVIEW WITH DON JOHNSON, AGE 20 ~ by Marvin Jones &#124; Facebook|via=Facebook}}</ref>{{Primary source inline|date=February 2024}} Mineo's last role in a motion picture was a small part in the film ''[[Escape from the Planet of the Apes]]'' (1971);<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/actor-sal-mineo-is-killed-in-hollywood|title=Actor Sal Mineo is killed in Hollywood|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|website=History.com}}</ref> he played the chimpanzee [[Dr. Milo]].

In December 1972, Mineo stage-directed the [[Gian Carlo Menotti]] short opera ''[[The Medium]]'' in Detroit.<ref name="Stevenson">{{cite web|url=http://www.salmineo.com/news/newadamarticle.html|title=The New Adam Article|last=Stevenson|first=Harold|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080922195548/http://www.salmineo.com/news/newadamarticle.html|archive-date=September 22, 2008}}</ref> [[Muriel Costa-Greenspon]] portrayed the title character, Madame Flora, and Mineo played the [[Muteness|mute]], Toby. In 1975, Mineo appeared as Rachman Habib, the assistant to a murderous consular head (portrayed by [[Hector Elizondo]]) of a Middle Eastern country, in the ''[[Columbo]]'' episode "[[List of Columbo episodes#Season 5|A Case of Immunity]]," on [[NBC-TV]]. One of his last roles was a guest spot on the TV series ''[[S.W.A.T. (1975 TV series)|S.W.A.T.]]'' (1975),<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dTKfEQmAnFkC&q=%22S.W.A.T+deadly+tide%22&pg=PA406|title=Sal Mineo: A Biography|first=Michael Gregg|last=Michaud|date=June 13, 2011|publisher=Three Rivers Press|isbn=9780307716675|via=Google Books}}</ref> in which he portrayed a cult leader similar to [[Charles Manson]].

By 1976, Mineo's career had begun to turn around.<ref name="Ellis">{{cite book|last1=Ellis|first1=Chris|last2=Ellis |first2=Julie|title=The Mammoth Book of Celebrity Murder|publisher=Carroll & Graf Publishers|location=New York|pages=419–422|isbn=0-7867-1568-5|year=2005}}</ref> While playing the role of a [[bisexual]] burglar in a series of stage performances of the comedy ''[[P.S. Your Cat Is Dead]]'' in San Francisco, Mineo received substantial publicity from many positive reviews; he moved to Los Angeles along with the play.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1976/02/14/archives/sal-mineo-knifed-to-death-in-hollywood-study-drug-angle-broadway.html|title=Sal Mineo Knifed to Death in Hollywood|newspaper=The New York Times |date=February 14, 1976}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/investigation-murder-sal-mineo-1169880|title=James Ellroy: Cracking the Case of Murdered Actor Sal Mineo|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=December 21, 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.biography.com/actor/sal-mineo|title=Sal Mineo|website=Biography.com}}</ref>

==Personal life==
In a 1972 interview with [[Boze Hadleigh]], Mineo confirmed his [[bisexuality]].<ref name="salmineo1972">{{cite web |title=Boze Hadleigh interview with Sal Mineo, 1972 |url=http://www.salmineo.com/news/inter_hadleigh.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924093740/http://www.salmineo.com/news/inter_hadleigh.html |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |access-date=June 2, 2015}}</ref>

Mineo met English-born actress [[Jill Haworth]] on the set of the film ''[[Exodus (1960 film)|Exodus]]'' in 1960, in which they portrayed young lovers. Mineo and Haworth were in an [[on-and-off relationship]] for many years. They were engaged to be married at one point. According to Mineo biographer Michael Gregg Michaud, Haworth cancelled the engagement after she caught Mineo engaging in sexual relations with a man.<ref name="Michael Gregg Michaud">{{cite web |url=http://databaseebook.com/id/p1598896560/ |title=Sal Mineo: A Biography |author=Michael Gregg Michaud |access-date=September 29, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151001021003/http://databaseebook.com/id/p1598896560/ |archive-date=October 1, 2015 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> The two remained very close friends until Mineo's death.<ref name="Michael Gregg Michaud"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wordandfilm.com/2010/12/the-relevance-of-sal-mineo/ |title=The Relevance of Sal Mineo |author=Michael Gregg Michaud |access-date=September 29, 2015 |archive-date=September 30, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150930085257/http://www.wordandfilm.com/2010/12/the-relevance-of-sal-mineo/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Mineo expressed disapproval of Haworth's brief relationship with television producer [[Aaron Spelling]], because he was 22 years older than her. One night, when Mineo found Haworth and Spelling at a private Beverly Hills nightclub, he punched Spelling in the face, yelling, "Do you know how old she is? What are you doing with her at your age?"<ref name="Michael Gregg Michaud"/>

At the time of his death, he was in a six-year relationship with actor and retired acting coach Courtney Burr III.<ref name="Michael Gregg Michaud" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/Movies/12/22/sal.mineo/ |title=Book helps rediscover murdered Hollywood star |author=Matthew Carey | publisher=CNN |access-date=September 29, 2015}}</ref>

==Death==
[[File:1 Sal Mineo cr.jpg|thumb|Footstone for Sal Mineo and his brother Michael in the [[Gate of Heaven Cemetery]], New York State]]

On the night of February 12, 1976, Mineo returned home from a rehearsal for the play ''[[P.S. Your Cat Is Dead]]'' at 10:00&nbsp;pm.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=UPI |date=February 14, 1976 |title=Sal Mineo Knifed to Death in Hollywood |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1976/02/14/archives/sal-mineo-knifed-to-death-in-hollywood-study-drug-angle-broadway.html |access-date=February 26, 2024 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> After parking his car in the carport below his [[West Hollywood]] apartment, he was stabbed in the heart by a mugger.<ref>{{cite news
  | work = Los Angeles Times   | title = Actor Sal Mineo Is Stabbed to Death
  | url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-feb-12-me-a2anniversary12-story.html
  | access-date = July 20, 2008 | date=February 12, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/celebrity/sal_mineo/6.html |title=The Switchblade Kid: The Life and Death of Sal Mineo |access-date=July 12, 2008 |author=Rachael Bell |publisher=[[TruTV]]|year=2008  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080528175537/http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/celebrity/sal_mineo/6.html |archive-date=May 28, 2008 |url-status=dead |quote=The autopsy revealed that Sal died of a single stab wound to the heart.}}</ref> Mineo was found lying and bleeding profusely in the parking alley by his neighbor Raymond Evans, who had heard his cries for help, but Mineo was only able to walk a few steps, after which he collapsed immediately. Mineo was pronounced dead at the scene at the age of 37, due to [[Bleeding|massive hemorrhage]].<ref name=":0" />

Lionel Ray Williams, a young [[pizza delivery]] man with a long criminal record, was convicted and sentenced in March 1979 to 51 years in prison for killing Mineo and also for committing ten robberies. Although considerable confusion existed as to what witnesses had seen in the dark the night Mineo was murdered, Williams claimed to have had no idea who Mineo was. Corrections officers later said they had overheard Williams admitting to the stabbing.<ref name="Ellis"/> Williams' wife later confirmed that on the night Mineo died, he had come home with blood on his shirt. After several years of speculation about the motives for the murder, the police investigation concluded that it was a random robbery.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://one.usc.edu/archive-location/sal-mineo-murder-site|title=Sal Mineo Murder Site &#124; One Archives|website=One.usc.edu}}</ref> Still in prison, Williams continues to deny his guilt in the murder. A 2024 documentary film titled "Unseen Innocence" seeks to raise awareness of Williams' case and further his exoneration efforts.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Underwood |first1=Keith L. |title='Unseen Innocence:' Did a Black Man Kill Actor Sal Mineo? |url=https://lasentinel.net/unseen-innocence-did-a-black-man-kill-actor-sal-mineo.html |website=Los Angeles Sentinel |publisher=Danny J. Bakewell, Sr. |access-date=May 11, 2025}}</ref>

A funeral for Mineo was held at [[Most Holy Trinity Church, Mamaroneck]], on February 17, 1976, and was attended by 250 mourners.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1976/02/18/archives/250-attend-sal-mineo-funeral-actor-is-called-gentle-person.html|work=The New York Times|title=250 Attend Sal Mineo Funeral; Actor Is Called 'Gentle Person'|date=February 18, 1976}}</ref> Mineo was buried at [[Gate of Heaven Cemetery]] in [[Hawthorne, New York]].<ref>Wilson, Scott. ''Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons'', 3d ed.: 2 (Kindle Locations 32658-32659). McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. Kindle Edition.</ref>

== Filmography ==

=== Film ===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
| 1955
|''[[Six Bridges to Cross]]''
| Jerry (boy)
|
|-
| 1955
|''[[The Private War of Major Benson]]''
| Cadet Col. Sylvester Dusik
|
|-
| 1955
|''[[Rebel Without a Cause]]''
| John "Plato" Crawford
| Nominated—[[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]]
|-
| 1956
|''[[Crime in the Streets]]''
| Angelo "Baby" Gioia, a.k.a. Bambino
|
|-
| 1956
|''[[Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956 film)|Somebody Up There Likes Me]]''
| Romolo
|
|-
| 1956
|''[[Giant (1956 film)|Giant]]''
| Angel Obregón II
|
|-
| 1956
|''[[Rock, Pretty Baby]]''
| Angelo Barrato
|
|-
| 1957
|''[[Dino (film)|Dino]]''
| Dino Minetta
|
|-
| 1957
|''[[The Young Don't Cry]]''
| Leslie "Les" Henderson
|
|-
| 1958
|''[[Tonka (film)|Tonka]]''
| White Bull
|
|-
| 1959
|''[[A Private's Affair]]''
| Luigi Maresi
|
|-
| 1959
|''[[The Gene Krupa Story]]''
| Gene Krupa
|
|-
| 1960
|''[[Exodus (1960 film)|Exodus]]''
| Dov Landau
| Won—[[Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture]]<br />Nominated—[[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]]
|-
| 1962
|''[[Escape from Zahrain]]''
| Ahmed
|
|-
| 1962
|''[[The Longest Day (film)|The Longest Day]]''
| Pvt. Martini
|
|-
| 1964
|''[[Cheyenne Autumn]]''
| Red Shirt
|
|-
| 1965
|''[[The Greatest Story Ever Told]]''
| Uriah
|
|-
|1965
|''[[Who Killed Teddy Bear?]]''
| Lawrence Sherman
|
|-
| 1967
|''[[Stranger on the Run]]''
| George Blaylock
|
|-
| 1969
|''[[Krakatoa, East of Java]]''
| Leoncavallo Borghese
|
|-
| 1969
|''[[80 Steps to Jonah]]''
| Jerry Taggart
|
|-
| 1971
|''[[Escape from the Planet of the Apes]]''
| Dr. Milo
|
|}

===Television===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
| 1952
| ''The Vision of Father Flanagan''
| Les
|  TV movie
|-
| 1952
| ''A Woman for the Ages''
| Charles
|  TV movie
|-
| 1953
| ''[[Omnibus (U.S. TV series)|Omnibus]]''
| Paco
| "The Capitol of the World"
|-
| 1954
| ''[[Janet Dean, Registered Nurse]]''
| Tommy Angelo
|  "The Magic Horn"
|-
| 1955
| ''[[Big Town]]''
|
| "Juvenile Gangs"
|-
| 1955
| ''[[Omnibus (U.S. TV series)|Omnibus]]''
|
| "The Bad Men"
|-
| 1955
| ''[[The Philco Television Playhouse]]''
|
| "The Trees"
|-
| 1955
| ''Frontiers of Faith''
|
| "The Man on the 6:02"
|-
| 1956
| ''[[Look Up and Live]]''
|
|  "Nothing to Do"
|-
| 1956
| ''[[The Alcoa Hour]]''
| Paco
| "The Capitol of the World", "The Magic Horn"
|-
| 1956
| ''[[Westinghouse Studio One]]''
|
| "Dino"
|-
| 1956
| ''[[Look Up and Live]]''
|
| "Nothing to Do"
|-
| 1956
| ''[[Lux Video Theatre]]''
|
| "Tabloid"
|-
| 1956
| ''[[Screen Directors Playhouse]]''
|
| "The Dream"
|-
| 1956
| ''[[Climax!]]''
| Miguel
| "Island in the City"
|-
| 1957
| ''[[The Ed Sullivan Show]]''
|Himself
|Episodes 10.42, 10.48
|-
| 1957
| ''[[Kraft Suspense Theatre]]''
| Tony Russo
|  "Barefoot Soldier", "Drummer Man"
|-
| 1957
| ''[[Kraft Music Hall]]''
| Himself
|  Episode 10.8
|-
| 1958
| ''[[The DuPont Show of the Month]]''
| Aladdin
| "Cole Porter's Aladdin"
|-
| 1958
| ''[[Pursuit (TV series)|Pursuit]]''
| Jose Garcia
|  "The Garcia Story"
|-
| 1959
| ''[[The Ann Sothern Show]]''
| Nicky Silvero
|  "The Sal Mineo Story"
|-
| 1962
| ''[[The DuPont Show of the Week]]''
| Coke
| "A Sound of Hunting"
|-
| 1963
| ''[[The Greatest Show on Earth (TV series)|The Greatest Show on Earth]]''
| Billy Archer
|  "The Loser"
|-
| 1964
| ''[[Kraft Suspense Theatre]]''
| Ernie
| "The World I Want"
|-
| 1964
| ''[[Dr. Kildare (TV series)|Dr. Kildare]]''
| Carlos Mendoza
|  "Tomorrow is a Fickle Girl"
|-
| 1964
| ''[[Combat!]]''
| Private Kogan
| "The Hard Way Back"
|-
| 1965
| ''[[The Patty Duke Show]]''
| Himself
| "Patty Meets a Celebrity"
|-
| 1965
| ''[[Burke's Law (1963 TV series)|Burke's Law]]''
| Lew Dixon
| "Who Killed the Rabbit's Husband?"
|-
| 1966
| ''[[Combat!]]''
| Vinnick
| "Nothing to Lose"
|-
| 1966
| ''[[Combat!]]''
| Marcel Paulon
| "The Brothers"
|-
| 1966
| ''[[Mona McCluskey]]''
|
| "The General Swings at Dawn"
|-
| 1966
| ''[[Run for Your Life (TV series)|Run for Your Life]]''
| Tonio
| "Sequestro!: Parts 1 and 2"
|-
| 1966
| ''[[Court Martial (TV series)|Court Martial]]''
| Lt. Tony Bianchi
| "The House Where He Lived"
|-
| 1966
| ''The Dangerous Days of Kiowa Jones''
| Bobby Jack Wilkes
|TV movie
|-
| 1967
| ''[[Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre]]''
| Doctoroff
| "A Song Called Revenge"
|-
| 1967
| ''[[Stranger on the Run]]''
| George Blaylock
|TV movie
|-
| 1968
| ''[[Hawaii Five-O (1968 TV series)|Hawaii Five-O]]''
| Bobby George
| "Tiger By The Tail"
|-
| 1969
| ''[[The Name of the Game (TV series)|The Name of the Game]]''
| Sheldon
|"A Hard Case Of The Blues"
|-
| 1970
| ''[[Mission: Impossible (1966 TV series)|Mission Impossible]]''
| Mel Bracken
| Flip Side
|-
| 1970
| ''The Challengers''
| Angel de Angelo
| TV movie
|-
| 1970
| ''[[The Name of the Game (TV series)|The Name of the Game]]''
| Wade Hillary
|"So Long, Baby, and Amen"
|-
| 1971
| ''[[My Three Sons]]''
| Jim Bell
| "The Liberty Bell"
|-
| 1971
| ''[[The Immortal (1970 TV series)|The Immortal]]''
| Tsinnajinni
|"Sanctuary"
|-
| 1971
| ''[[Dan August]]''
| Mort Downes
| "The Worst Crime"
|-
| 1971
| ''In Search of America''
| Nick
| TV movie
|-
| 1971
| ''How to Steal an Airplane''
| Luis Ortega
| TV movie
|-
| 1972
| ''[[The Family Rico]]''
|Nick Rico
| TV movie
|-
| 1973
| ''[[Griff (TV series)|Griff]]''
|President Gamal Zaki
|"Marked for Murder"
|-
| 1973
| ''[[Harry O]]''
| Walter Scheerer
| "Such Dust as Dreams Are Made On"
|-
| 1974
| ''[[Tenafly (TV series)|Tenafly]]''
|Jerry Farmer
| "Man Running"
|-
| 1974
| ''[[Police Story (1973 TV series)|Police Story]]''
| Stippy
| "The Hunters"
|-
| 1975
| ''[[Columbo]]''
| Rachman Habib
| "A Case of Immunity"
|-
| 1975
| ''[[Hawaii Five-O (1968 TV series)|Hawaii Five-O]]''
|Eddie
| "Hit Gun for Sale"
|-
| 1975
| ''[[Harry O]]''
| Broker
| "Elegy for a Cop"
|-
| 1975
| ''[[S.W.A.T. (1975 TV series)|S.W.A.T.]]''
| Roy
| "Deadly Tide: Parts 1 and 2"
|-
| 1975
| ''[[S.W.A.T. (1975 TV series)|S.W.A.T.]]''
| Joey Hopper
| "A Coven of Killers"
|-
| 1975
| ''[[Police Story (1973 TV series)|Police Story]]''
| Fobbes
| "Test of Brotherhood"
|-
| 1976
| ''[[Ellery Queen (TV series)|Ellery Queen]]''
| James Danello
| "The Adventure of the Wary Witness"
|-
| 1976
| ''[[Joe Forrester]]''
| Parma
| "The Answer", (final appearance)
|}

== Awards and nominations ==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Institution
! Category
! Year
! Work
! Result
|-
! rowspan="2" | [[Academy Awards]]
| rowspan="2" | [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]
| [[28th Academy Awards|1956]]
| ''[[Rebel Without a Cause]]''
| {{Nom}}
|-
| [[33rd Academy Awards|1961]]
| rowspan="2" | ''[[Exodus (1960 film)|Exodus]]''
| {{Nom}}
|-
! [[Golden Globe Awards]]
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture|Best Supporting Actor]]
| [[18th Golden Globe Awards|1961]]
| {{Won}}
|-
! [[Primetime Emmy Award]]s
| [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie|Best Single Performance by an Actor]]
| [[9th Primetime Emmy Awards|1957]]
| ''[[Studio One (American TV series)|Studio One]]''
| {{Nom}}
|-
! [[Laurel Awards]]
| Top Male Supporting Performance
| 1961
| ''Exodus''
| {{Won}}
|}

== See also ==
* [[List of oldest and youngest Academy Award winners and nominees#Youngest nominees 4|List of oldest and youngest Academy Award winners and nominees – Youngest nominees for Best Actor in a Supporting Role]]
* [[List of actors with Academy Award nominations]]
* [[List of actors with two or more Academy Award nominations in acting categories]]
* [[List of LGBTQ Academy Award winners and nominees]]

== References ==
=== Citations ===
{{Reflist}}

=== Sources ===
* {{cite book|author1=Frascella, Lawrence |author2=Weisel, Al | title= Live Fast, Die Young: The Wild Ride of Making Rebel Without a Cause| publisher= Touchstone| date= 2005| isbn= 0-7432-6082-1| url= https://archive.org/details/livefastdieyoung00fra_evt}}
* {{cite book|author=Gilmore, John |title= Laid Bare: A Memoir of Wrecked Lives and the Hollywood Death Trip| publisher=Amok Books | date= 1998|isbn= 1-878923-08-0}}
* {{cite book|author1=Johansson, Warren |author2=Percy, William A | title=Outing: Shattering the Conspiracy of Silence| publisher=Harrington Park Press| date=1994|page=91}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
* {{IMDb name|543}}
* {{IBDB name}}
* {{iobdb name|5702}}
* {{cite web|url=http://www.salmineo.com/news/cavalier.html|id=Cavalier|date=February 1970|title=Sal Mineo interviewed|author=Abel, Bob |website=SalMineo.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060507151458/http://www.salmineo.com/news/cavalier.html|archive-date=May 7, 2006}}

{{Golden Globe Award Best Supporting Actor Motion Picture}}

{{Portal bar|Biography|California|Film|LGBTQ|New York City|Pop music|Television|Theatre}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mineo, Sal}}
[[Category:1939 births]]
[[Category:1976 deaths]]
[[Category:People murdered in 1976]]
[[Category:20th-century American LGBTQ people]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
[[Category:20th-century American male singers]]
[[Category:20th-century people from California]]
[[Category:20th-century people from New York (state)]]
[[Category:American bisexual male actors]]
[[Category:American bisexual musicians]]
[[Category:American LGBTQ singers]]
[[Category:American male child actors]]
[[Category:American male film actors]]
[[Category:American male pop singers]]
[[Category:American male stage actors]]
[[Category:American male television actors]]
[[Category:American murder victims]]
[[Category:American people of Italian descent]]
[[Category:American theatre directors]]
[[Category:Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe (film) winners]]
[[Category:Bisexual male singers]]
[[Category:Broadway theatre people]]
[[Category:Burials at Gate of Heaven Cemetery (Hawthorne, New York)]]
[[Category:Deaths by stabbing in California]]
[[Category:LGBTQ people from California]]
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[[Category:Male actors from Los Angeles County, California]]
[[Category:Male actors from the Bronx]]
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[[Category:Musicians from the Bronx]]
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[[Category:Off-Broadway]]
[[Category:People from West Hollywood, California]]
[[Category:People murdered in California]]
[[Category:People of Sicilian descent]]
[[Category:Singers from California]]
[[Category:Singers from New York City]]