Marino was the son of San Jose family boss Angelo Marino and grandson of former Pittsburgh crime family caporegime Salvatore "Sam" Marino. He was first arrested for stabbing a man in a bar fight on October 8, 1967. The fight happened at King's Drive-In on First and Alma streets. He was one of 13 arrested. The case was thrown out of court after the victim refused to testify. Salvatore was indicted by the Santa Clara County Grand Jury for shooting George Von Gunden in the foot on August 29, 1968. A witness said Salvatore threw his gun over a fence and fled the shooting scene. Charges were soon dropped in exchange for a no-contest plea on another shooting six months later. This time he was sent to the California Youth Authority for the shooting of a Santa Clara man. The victim, Dan Edward Pea