Fire Island Celebrity history- Sal Mineo
Like many celebrities actor Sal Mineo found his way to the Pines. He is best known for his role as John "Plato" Crawford in the drama film Rebel Without a Cause, which earned him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor at age 17. A closeted gay in a world on non acceptance, he truly was a pioneer in the acting world of theater and film.
He would go to star in many films however in both 1966 (below) and in 1974 he stopped to visit the Pines.
1974. Actor Sal Mineo arrives in the Pines with an entourage. He has lunch at the Blue Whale where longtime Pines resident Anne Candreva worked as a waitress. He is kind, and leaves Anne a $100.00 tip and an autograph.
As his career declined he met a unexpected fate…
