| Sal Mineo Quick Info | |
|---|---|
| Height | 5 ft 6 in |
| Weight | 64 kg |
| Date of Birth | January 10, 1939 |
| Zodiac Sign | Capricorn |
| Date of Death | February 12, 1976 |
Sal Mineo was a talented American actor and singer who, in his short life, gave memorable performances in popular films like Rebel Without a Cause (1955), Giant (1956), Crime in the Streets (1956), Exodus (1960), The Longest Day (1962), Cheyenne Autumn (1964), Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971), The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965), etc.
Born Name
Salvatore Mineo Jr.
Nick Name
Sal Mineo, The Switchblade Kid, The Latin Lover
Age
He was born on January 10, 1939.
Died
He died after being stabbed to death on February 12, 1976, in West Hollywood, California at the age of 37 years.
Sun Sign
Capricorn
Born Place
The Bronx, New York, United States
Nationality
Education
Sal studied at the Quintano’s School For Young Professionals, which was a private high school in New York City for working child actors.
Occupation
Actor, Singer
Family
- Father – Salvatore Mineo Sr. (Coffin Maker)
- Mother – Josephine Alvisi (Coffin Maker)
- Siblings – Sarina Mineo (Sister) (Actress), Michael Mineo (Brother) (Actor), Victor Mineo (Brother) (Actor)
Genre
Rock and Roll, Pop
Instruments
Vocals
Labels
Epic Records
Build
Slim
Height
5 ft 6 in or 167.5 cm
Weight
64 kg or 141 lbs
Girlfriend / Boyfriend / Spouse
Sal Mineo had dated –
- James Dean (1955)
- Natalie Wood – RUMOR
- Peter Lawford
- Montgomery Clift
- Jill Haworth (1960)
- Tuesday Weld (1961)
- Bobby Sherman
- Courtney Burr III (1970-1976)
Race / Ethnicity
White
He was of Italian (including Sicilian) descent.
Hair Color
Black
Eye Color
Dark Brown
Sexual Orientation
Bisexual
Moreover, he was also rumored to be ‘Gay’.
Distinctive Features
- Short height
- Best known for playing lonely, jittery, humorless characters
Sal Mineo Facts
- He posed n*de for Harold Stevenson in a series of large-scale homoe**tic paintings and drawings. One of those paintings called ‘The New Adam’ (1963), which is considered as one of the great American nu*es, is housed in the permanent collection at Guggenheim Museum.
- On February 12, 1976, he was stabbed to death by the 17-year-old drug-addled Lionel Ray Williams in a robbery incident. Williams was convicted of murder and sentenced to 57 years in prison. But, he only served 12 years behind bars and was paroled in 1990. Following Mineo’s untimely death, speculations arose as to the killer’s real motives, leading to some bizarre rumors. However, it was later concluded to be a random act of robbery.
- John Lennon, of The Beatles fame, had offered reward money to anyone who would help find Mineo’s killer.
- He had starred in the classic films Giant (1956) and The Longest Day (1962); both films were ‘Best Picture’ Oscar nominees.
- Mineo, a second-generation Italian immigrant, wanted to play the role of Michael Corleone in Francis Ford Coppola‘s magnum opus, The Godfather (1972). The role was eventually essayed by Al Pacino.
- His performance as John ‘Plato’ Crawford in the coming-of-age film Rebel Without a Cause (1955) earned the 17-year-old Mineo an Academy Award nomination for ‘Best Supporting Actor’. As of 2023, he is the fifth-youngest nominee in that category.
Featured Image by Allan Warren / Wikimedia / CC BY-SA 3.0
