Francis Patrick Salemme was born on August 18, 1933, in Weymouth, Massachusetts, the second of six children in a working-class family. His father, Romeo Pasquale Salemme, was an Italian-American ship painter, while his mother, Mary Agnes Hagerty, was of Irish descent and a homemaker. Raised in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston, Frank grew up in a racially mixed, turbulent area that saw frequent clashes between Irish and Italian gangs.

After serving in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, Salemme returned home with an honorable discharge and trained as an electrician. In 1955, he married Alice Kathleen McLaughlin in Nashua, New Hampshire, attempting a conventional life before sliding into organized crime.

His first serious brush with the law came in 1957, when he was imprisoned and met Anthony Morelli, a member of the Patriarca crime family. Upon release, Salemme quickly transitioned into a criminal career, working as a low-level associate. He opened auto shops and ran semi-legit businesses, earning the nickname “Cadillac Frank” due to his specialty in fixing Cadillacs.

While serving time in a 1957 prison stint, Salemme crossed paths with Anthony Morelli of the Patriarca crime family. That connection marked the turning point toward organized crime, and upon release, he slipped smoothly into semi-legitimate ventures like auto repair garages, which masked his growing participation in illegal operations via partnerships with figures like George Kaufman.

A pivotal bond formed with childhood friend Stephen “The Rifleman” Flemmi from Roxbury. Together, they became enforcers, bookmakers, and collectors for Patriarca capo Ilario “Larry Baione” Zannino.

Salemme’s criminal career kicked off in the early 1960s as he became known for his brutality and loyalty to the Patriarca crime family. Working closely with Stephen "The Rifleman" Flemmi, Salemme participated in the Boston gang wars, allegedly murdering numerous rivals in Charlestown. His reputation as a reliable enforcer earned him fast promotion.

On January 30, 1968, when defense attorney John Fitzgerald, representing informant Joseph Barboza, lost a leg in a planted car bomb, the strategy was clear: intimidation. Salemme orchestrated the attack but didn’t ignite it. Fleeing under the alias “Jules Sellick,” he evaded capture until FBI agent John Connolly arrested him in New York in 1972. He was then sentenced to around 16 years behind bars.

After his release in the late 1980s, Salemme sought control of the Patriarca family. This move led to a violent clash with rival Joseph Russo, culminating in a 1989 assassination attempt outside a Saugus IHOP, where Salemme was shot but survived. A peace brokered by John Gotti saw Salemme ally Nicholas Bianco installed as boss, while Salemme remained a powerful enforcer behind the scenes. By 1991, he was de facto boss of the Patriarca family, backed by Whitey Bulger and Steve Flemmi.

In the early 1990s, Salemme became entangled in an FBI sting operation involving film industry extortion — an operation dramatized in The Last Shot. He was arrested in Florida in 1995 after fleeing with his partner Donna Wolf. In 1999, Salemme pleaded guilty to racketeering but had four murder charges dismissed as part of a plea deal. He was sentenced to 11 years and entered the Witness Protection Program after testifying in major federal cases, including that of FBI agent John Connolly.

A 2004 plea deal had Salemme plead guilty in 1999 to racketeering, extortion, and four murders—Grasso and the Bennett brothers. His cooperation with authorities helped bring down corrupt FBI agent Connolly. Salemme briefly entered witness protection but was drawn back into legal drama by 2004, arrested again for lying about the disappearance of Steven DiSarro.

DiSarro, a club owner and “straw” for the Salemme family’s strip club interest, had run-ins with federal agents—crossing a line. On May 10, 1993, Salemme had DiSarro strangled at his home in Sharon: his son Frank Jr. held the fatal grip while Salemme watched and accomplice Paul Weadick held the legs. The body was then buried behind a Providence mill. Salemme later denied involvement—but Flemmi, under immunity, testified to witnessing the murder.

In 2016, DiSarro’s remains were uncovered in Rhode Island. Testimony from Flemmi placed Salemme at the scene of DiSarro’s murder, claiming he watched as his own son strangled the victim. On June 22, 2018, Salemme and Weadick were convicted of DiSarro’s murder. On September 13, 2018, both were sentenced to life in prison. Salemme was held at the U.S. Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri, where he died on December 13, 2022, at age 89.