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| Michael Saleri | |
| Biographical Information | |
| Aliases | Mikey |
| Gender | Male |
| Born | May 8, 1902 Brooklyn Watefront, Brooklyn, New York City |
| Died | December 28, 1945 Little Italy, Manhattan, New York City |
| Affiliation |  Tattaglia crime family
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| Title(s) | Soldier |
Michael "Mikey" Saleri was a Soldato in the Tattaglia crime family under Capo Tony Bianchi.
Biography[]
Saleri is choked to death
Saleri was born on the lower-class Brooklyn Waterfront in Brooklyn, New York City, raised in a small apartment building. Saleri was always known for being a tough person, a person who robbed street vendors as a young man. Saleri once escaped the NYPD after robbing a US Mail Truck worth $1,000,000, killing five police officers, and getting the attention of Tony Bianchi, a Tattaglia Caporegime. Saleri was hired as an assassin, but Saleri wanted to inherit his boss' position, trying to take back the family's territories at times of war. Saleri was considered a loose cannon, however, because of his violence, not a helpful man like he wanted to be seen as. These tendencies actually benefitted Donnie Marinelli, another Tattaglia Capo, who needed a man to help him in a hit against Vito Corleone in December 1945.
Saleri and Marinelli did the job on December 23 and succeeded in putting him down, but he held out and survived. Saleri and Marinelli were able to flee the scene in time to avoid being shot back by Aldo Trapani, who was at a nearby barber shop. He guarded Joe's Diner after the job, holding Corleone Consigliere Tom Hagen hostage there. He was also a bodyguard for Virgil Sollozzo, and accompanied him out of the diner moments before Hagen was rescued by Peter Clemenza, Rocco Lampone, and Trapani.
Death[]
Saleri attempted to make his bones by taking back Emilio's Butcher Shop from the Corleones, pulling Emilio Brunetti out to the back alleyway and threatening to kill him if he did not give him the money that he owed. However, Aldo Trapani arrived and grabbed Saleri's neck with both hands, and squeezed until Saleri ran out of breath, whereupon Trapani snapped his neck.