Sam appears to be of Sicilian descent as indicated by his surname, which references a city in Western Sicily. He likely joined the Salieri family at some point in the 1920s as he is already a caporegime by the time Tommy meets him in 1930. Sam's personality is one of focus and discipline; he carries out his orders without hesitation, never betrays his friends, and demonstrates absolute loyalty to the Don and the code of omerta. However, he is also devoid of any real ambition and lacks initiative, a man who seems destined to always linger in someone else's shadow. At one point, he tells Tommy that the best lesson he could ever teach him was "Don't think about anything". Meeting Tommy In Fall 1930, Sam and Paulie are fleeing from Morello gunmen after a deal gone wrong when they crash their car while speeding. Sam then spots a taxi and forces the driver Tommy at gunpoint to help him and Paulie escape back to the safety of Salieri's Bar. Sam then provides Tommy with an envelope of cash to fix his taxi. The next day, Tommy's taxi gets smashed by two Morello gangsters as revenge for the night before. Tommy runs to the bar, where Sam is loitering outside with Paulie. Sam and Paulie make the gangsters leave and introduce Tommy to consigliere Frank Colletti. Family Jobs After Tommy joins the family, Sam accompanies Paulie and Tommy while they make the last of the family's monthly collections. During their last stop at Clark's Motel, Paulie is shot, and Sam taken prisoner by Morello soldiers waiting to ambush them. Sam is beaten by an unnamed Morello enforcer but refuses to reveal who was responsible for smashing the gang's cars. After Tommy breaks in and kills the soldiers, he rescues Sam and retrieves the collected money from Morello's men. In 1932, Sam briefly appears at the Lost Heaven Autodrome shortly before the annual motor race, shooting the breeze with Tommy and Paulie before Tommy is forced to participate in the race on account of the Don's favorite being hospitalized. He cheers on Tommy when he wins, and afterwards is seen celebrating with Michelle on his arm at the afterparty. He also tells Tommy to escort a drunk Paulie home before he gets arrested. After Sarah and Tommy get attacked, Sam takes it upon himself to clear Little Italy of any remaining hoodlums while Tommy and Paulie exact revenge. While playing cards, Sam and Tommy get new orders; Tommy is to kill Michelle and the manager of the Corleone Hotel and blow it up, while Sam is tasked with eliminating Billy Ghillotti's friend Johnny during the former's funeral at St. Michael's Church. During the car ride over, Sam asks Tommy to spare Michelle and give her a hundred dollars to leave Lost Heaven, blaming himself for putting her in danger. Later at the church, Sam kills a wounded Johnny before he can shoot Tommy and threatens to kill the priest if he identifies either man to the police. Sam and Tommy then steal Billy's hearse and escape back to the bar. In early 1933, Sam is sentCharacters Tommy Angelo (Protagonist) Paulie Lombardo (Deuteragonist) Sam Trapani (Tritagonist) Don Salieri Frank Colletti Don Morello Ralph Vincenzo Ricci Sarah Angelo Sergio Morello Detective Norman Luigi Marino Carlo Little Tony Lucas Bertone Biff Herbert Baskerville Police Officers Dino Lou Al Bertorelli The Money Thief Joey Crackers Bobby Martin Lichtenberg Michelle Juliet Billy Ghillotti Johnny Howard Davis Captain Pennies The Priest Dogs The Doctor March Colletti Alice Colletti Salvatore Prosecutor Watkins William Gates Pepe Joe Gordy Roberto Ghillotti Hank Turnbull Christopher Marcino Angelo Family Vito Scaletta Joe Barbaro Gangs and Organizations Lost Heaven Police Department Lost Heaven Border Patrol Salieri Crime Family Morello Crime Family Street Hoodlums