Sally Ride (1951 - 2012)

The elder child of Dale Burdell Ride and Carol Joyce (née Anderson), Ride was born in Los Angeles, California. She had one sibling, Karen “Bear” Ride, who is a Presbyterian minister. Both parents were elders in the Presbyterian Church. Ride’s mother had worked as a volunteer counselor at a women’s correctional facility. Her father had […]

Sally Starr (1923 - 2013)

Television Hostess, Singer, Actress. Her career started at the young age of 12, when she and her sister Mildred debuted on the CBS radio program “Blush Creek Follies,” as the “Little Missouri Maids.” Later, she donned a flashy red cowgirl outfit decorated with fringes and shiny silver stars, a cowgirl hat, boots, guns with holsters […]

Salmon Portland Chase (1808 - 1873)

Chase was born in Cornish, New Hampshire, to Janet Ralston and Ithamar Chase, who died in 1817 when Salmon was nine years old. His mother was left with ten children and few resources, and so Salmon lived from 1820 to 1824 in Ohio with his uncle Bishop Philander Chase, a leading figure in the Protestant […]

Salvador Abril y Blasco (1970 - 1924)

Artist. Born in Valencia, Spain, he studied in there at the Real Academia de San Carlos with future renown Spanish painters Joaquín Sorolla and Pedro Ferrer. Best remembered for his paintings of landscapes and sea-scapes, Abril was awarded in the National Exhibitions of 1887, 1890 and 1892. Among his works are “Bosques de La Alhambra”, […]

Salvador Dali (1904 - 1989)

Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech was born on May 11, 1904, at 8:45 am GMT in the town of Figueres, in the Empordà region, close to the French border in Catalonia, Spain. Dalí’s older brother, also named Salvador (born October 12, 1901), had died of gastroenteritis nine months earlier, on August 1, 1903. His father, Salvador Dalí i Cusí, was a middle-class lawyer and notary whose strict disciplinary […]

Salvador Luria (1912 - 1991)

Salvador Luria arrived in New York City on September 12, 1940, and soon changed his first and middle names. With the help of physicist Enrico Fermi, whom he knew from his time at the University of Rome, Luria received a Rockefeller Foundation fellowship at Columbia University. He soon met Delbrück and Hershey, and they collaborated […]

Salvador Sánchez (1959 - 1982)

Salvador Sánchez Mexican boxer born in the town of Santiago Tianguistenco, Estado de México. Sanchez was the World Boxing Council featherweight champion from 1980 to 1982. Many of his contemporaries as well as boxing writers believe that, had it not been for his premature death, Sanchez could have gone on to become the greatest Featherweight […]

Salvatore Baccaloni (1900 - 1969)

Opera Singer. The archetypal fat Italian basso buffo, he is considered by many to have been the greatest clown in the history of opera. Raised in Rome he got his initial training with the Sistine Chapel Choir then after study with noted baritone Josip Kasman bowed at the Teatro Adriano of Rome in 1922 as […]

Salvatore Catalanotte (1894 - 1930)

Organized Crime Figure. The first unified boss of the Detroit underworld, he was born in Seleni, Trapani, Sicily on February 15, 1894. He arrived in Detroit in 1905, and was a popular figure who held tremendous influence in the Italian community due largely in part to charitable donations and his standing as the head of […]

Salvatore D’Aquila (1878 - 1928)

Organized Crime Figure. He was the first head of what is now called the Gambino Organized Crime Family. He was shot and killed at the corner of Avenue A and 13th Street in Manhattan, New York City, New York.

Salvatore Maranzano (1886 - 1931)

Organized Crime Figure. He instigated the 1929 to 1931 “Castellammarese War” amongst New York City, New York organized crime factions. He was briefly the undisputed leader of the entire mafia organizations in New York until he was murdered on the orders of younger crime figures like Meyer Lansky and Charles “Lucky” Luciano.

Sam Adams, Sr (1948 - 2015)

Professional Football Player. Adams, born Samuel Edward Adams, played offensive guard in the National Football League for the New England Patriots from 1972 to 1980 and for the New Orleans Saints in 1981. He played for Prairie View A&M before being selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the 1971 Supplemental Draft and then joining […]

Sam Bass (1851 - 1878)

Western Outlaw. Born on a farm near Mitchell, Indiana, he was orphaned before he was thirteen and spent five years at the home of an uncle. In 1870, he arrived in Denton, Texas, handled horses in the stables and became interested in horse racing. Acquiring a fleet mount, he won most of his races when […]

Sam Battaglia (1908 - 1973)

Sam Battaglia Chicago Gangster. He was the middle of three brothers who dominated the Chicago mob for nearly four decades before falling from power. He broke into the mob after spending time with the street gang 42, founded by his brother Paul. Sam, a burglar and muscle man, was a huge, good looking youngster when […]

Sam Battistone (1913 - 1992)

Business Magnate. He founder the Sambo’s restaurant chain. The first Sambo’s is still in operation on Cabrillo Boulevard in Santa Barbara.  Family links:  Spouse:  Ione Isabelle Jensen Battistone (1914 – 2003)* *Calculated relationship

Sam Bean (1874 - 1907)

Saloon Keeper, Folk Figure. Sam Bean was raised in Langtry, Texas. His father was a famous Judge known as “Law, West of the Pecos,” his mother was a Spanish woman. His parents were married in San Antonio soon after the Civil War. About 1914 Sam moved to Del Rio, Texas, opening a saloon and dance […]

Sam Bernard (1863 - 1970)

Stage, film and vaudeville star. Bernard began his career as an actor in vaudeville, using the name, Samuel Barnet, and in 1915 he entered films when he was signed to the Triangle Film Corporation. Bernard’s films include “Call A Cop” (1921), “The Great Pearl Tangle” (1916), “A Janitor’s Wifes Temptations” (1915), “Because He Loved Her” […]

Sam Bottoms (1955 - 2008)

Samuel John “Sam” Bottoms (October 17, 1955 – December 16, 2008) was an American actor and producer. Bottoms was born in Santa Barbara, California, the third son of James “Bud” Bottoms (a sculptor and art teacher) and Betty (Chapman), both of whom survive him. He was the brother of actors Timothy Bottoms (born 1951), Joseph Bottoms […]

Sam Buffington (1931 - 1960)

American Actor. Buffington was a supporting actor who crammed over 40 radio, television and movie appearances into his short career. His balding appearance was that of a much older man, which got him parts as doctors, professors, sheriffs and bartenders.  From 1955 through 1961, he appeared on several TV shows, among them ‘Highway Patrol’, ‘Tales […]

Sam Chatmon (1897 - 1983)

Sam Chatmon (January 10, 1897 – February 2, 1983) was a Delta blues guitarist and singer. He was a member of the Mississippi Sheiks. He may have been Charlie Patton’s half-brother. Chatmon was born in Bolton, Mississippi. His family was well known in Mississippi for their musical talents; he was a member of the family’s string […]

Sam Cooke (1931 - 1964)

Sam Cooke Singer, Gospel, Blues, Soul and Pop, Songwriter. Sam Cooke is considered the father of soul music and was immensely popular in both the black and white communities. This intelligent performer was not only the overseer and manager of the business side of his own career but founded his own record label and publishing […]

Sam Coppola (1935 - 2012)

Actor. Best remembered for playing Dan Fusco, proprietor of the Brooklyn paint and hardware store where John Travolta’s character Tony Manero worked in the classic motion picture “Saturday Night Fever” (1977). Born and raised in Northern New Jersey (of no relation to Francis Ford Coppola), he chose to pursue an acting career and became a […]

Sam DeStefano (1909 - 1973)

Gangster. Sam DeStefano, a.k.a. “Mad Sam,” was the most violent loanshark in Chicago’s history. He grew up in Little Italy and fell in with the infamous 42er Gang. He served three years in prison for rape and eleven in Wisconsin for bank robbery. He was known as a “six for five” juice man in Chicago, […]

Sam Drapkin (2024 - 1965)

Organized crime Figure. Member of Detroit’s Purple Gang. Known throughout the city’s underworld as leading a “charmed life.” He survived a total of nine gunshot wounds, stemming from a machine-gun attack along Oakland Avenue in July 1927 and another murder attempt in February 1932, when Drapkin became one of a small handful of gangsters to […]

Sam Edwards (1915 - 2004)

Character actor in radio, movie and television.  During the 1940s and 50s, he was the voice of ‘Dexter’ on the NBC radio show, “Meet Corliss Archer.” In movies, he had played opposite the likes of John Wayne and Gregory Peck.  He did over 30 years of work on television, most notably as the banker on […]

Sam Ervin (1896 - 1985)

Sam Ervin was serving as an associate justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court when he was appointed in June 1954 by Governor William B. Umstead to fill the U.S. Senate seat of Clyde Hoey, who had died in office. He ran successfully for the seat in November 1954. Ervin made a deep impact on American […]

Sam Genna (1970 - 1951)

Gangster. Fled to Sicily with Jim and Peter after their brothers’ murders. They returned to Chicago, and divorced themselves from the rackets to run an olive oil importing firm.

Sam Giancana (1908 - 1975)

Sam Giancana Born ‘Salvatore Giangana’ to Sicilian immigrants from Partanna, in the province of Trapani, in Little Italy, Chicago, also known as “The Patch”. His father, Antonino (later Americanized to Antonio) Giangana, operated a pushcart and later briefly owned an Italian ice shop, which was later firebombed by gangland rivals of his son. It has […]

Sam Glazer (1923 - 2012)

Businessman. Co-founder of the Mr. Coffee beverage machine. The son of European-Jewish immigrants, his father died while Sam was a child leaving his mother and siblings to struggle with impoverished circumstances. This harsh experience made an indelible impression on him and shaped his earnest strives towards a highly-successful future in business. Following service with the […]

Sam Goody (1904 - 1991)

Record Store Magnate.  Family links:  Spouse:  Sadie Goody (1911 – 1996)*  Children:  Howard Goody (1942 – 2002)* *Calculated relationship