Sumith Prasad
In the second episode of Paramount+’s Western series ‘1923’ season 2, Spencer Dutton’s return journey to the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch takes him to Salvatore “Sal” Maceo, the cousin of his colleague and fellow passenger, Luca Maceo. Sal runs the opulent Hollywood Dinner Club in Galveston, Texas. After learning about the World War I veteran’s strength and resilience, the Italian businessman proposes a bootlegging operation that benefits both of them. Since the part-time lion hunter desperately needs money to save his family’s property, he reluctantly signs up for the assignment. Interestingly, Sal is rooted in the history of Galveston and the organized crime in the city!
Sal Maceo is the Fictional Counterpart of a Real Italian Businessman
Salvatore “Sal” Maceo is the fictionalized version of Salvatore V. “Sam” Maceo, an Italian entrepreneur who set up the Maceo Organization, also known as the Maceo Syndicate, with his brother, Rosario “Rose” Maceo. First of all, even though Sal is inspired by Sam, the events in the former’s storyline in ‘1923’ are completely fictional. Like his ancestors and descendants, Spencer Dutton did not exist in real life. He is a fictitious character created by Taylor Sheridan, which means that his involvement in saving Luca Maceo never happened. Furthermore, no records are available to state that Sam had a cousin named Luca, who was protected by a World War I veteran on his way to Galveston from Italy.
Having said that, Sam did run the Hollywood Dinner Club in Galveston and was allegedly involved in bootlegging like his fictional counterpart. Born in 1894 in Sicily, Italy, he joined his family to emigrate to Leesville, Louisiana, in 1901. Right before World War I, he arrived in Galveston with Rosario and became the mentee of Ollie Quinn, the mobster who led the infamous Beach Gang. This relationship paved the way for the establishment of the Hollywood Dinner Club at 61st Street and Avenue S in 1926. Sam rose to prominence when Quinn was arrested.
According to local historians, Sam then controlled various spheres of organized crime in Galveston, ranging from gambling to prostitution and bootlegging to power brokerage. To reportedly enhance his presence in the gambling scene of the city, he built the Balinese Room at Seawall Boulevard in 1929. By the 1930s, Sam became one of the faces of the “Free State of Galveston.” He hosted popular entertainers, such as Frank Sinatra and Bob Hope, in his establishments. He shook hands with several prominent Texan politicians and businessmen and even went on to own the Gulf Oil Properties.
Sam Maceo Passed Away in 1951
On his best day, Sam Maceo was the undisputed leader of a syndicate that owned around 60 businesses in Galveston County. However, this prominence didn’t last long. When Nevada legalized gambling in 1931, the shine on Galveston started to fade, contributing to the decline of Sam’s empire. He had to shut down the Hollywood Dinner Club in the same decade. The stars who lit up the stages of his establishments preferred the glamor of Las Vegas over the fading glory of Galveston, affecting his businesses. His reputation worsened when he was accused of running a nationwide narcotics trafficking ring in 1937.
Even though the charges didn’t stick, resulting in his acquittal in 1942, Sam’s empire was crumbling without a doubt. During his twilight years, he mainly invested in Moe Dalitz’s Desert Inn, a prominent hotel and casino that operated on the Las Vegas Strip in the second half of the 20th century. Not long after it was opened, in 1951, he died of cancer in the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. He was survived by his wife and three children. Through his fictional counterpart in ‘1923,’ creator Taylor Sheridan sheds light on the glamorous yet dark underbelly of Galveston in the 1920s.
Gilles Marini Plays Sal Maceo in 1923
Gilles Marini, who is known for playing Dante in the first ‘Sex and the City’ movie, plays Sal Maceo in ‘1923.’ After making his acting debut in an episode of FOX’s ‘The O.C.,’ the French performer was part of the guest cast of several renowned shows, including ‘Criminal Minds’ and ‘Ugly Betty.’ His television career turned around after landing the role of Luc Laurent in ABC’s family drama ‘Brothers & Sisters.’ This was followed by his portrayal of Angelo Sorrento in ABC Family’s teen drama ‘Switched at Birth.’
Marini also appears in renowned shows such as the CBS sitcom ‘2 Broke Girls’ as Nicolas Saintcroix, Lifetime’s ‘Devious Maids’ as Sebastien Dussault, the long-running NBC soap opera ‘Days of Our Lives’ as Ted Laurent, and ‘Beyond Black Beauty’ as Cedric Dumond. In addition to ‘1923,’ the actor is part of the cast of the ongoing third season of the NBC sitcom ‘Night Court,’ in which he appears as Rodrigo.
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