Family member: Murdered man was protecting wife

Cathy Scott

Tuesday, Sept. 16, 1997 | 11:05 a.m.

Ernest Salvati took a bullet for his wife, sacrificing his life to save hers, his sister-in-law said today.

Salvati, 61, was murdered early Monday as he was walking with his wife, Marie, 57, a sister-in-law and her husband from breakfast at the Maxim hotel-casino. They were walking back to their time-share condominium at the Ramada Vacation Suites on East Winnick Avenue behind the Imperial Palace when a car pulled up next to them.

The driver pointed a gun at the women, said another sister-in-law, Susan Hill.

"Ernie saw that the guy was going to shoot Marie, and he stepped in front of her," Hill said. "He saved her life."

The foursome had arrived from Monaca, Pa., about 40 miles northwest of Pittsburgh, a couple of hours earlier, said hotel spokeswoman Kay Scherer. They were driven from the lobby to their rooms "because anyone arriving after dark is escorted," she said. Security also offered to drive the couples to breakfast but they said they wanted to walk, Scherer said.

Hill said the couple had stayed at the Ramada several times before, but this time they were in a different section of the complex, toward the back.

"Marie said she didn't want to stay there because it was in the back," Hill said. "The Ramada said they'd change their room in the morning."

As they walked back to their rooms, a white Cadillac pulled up on the sidewalk and stopped, Hill said her sister, Marie, told her. Two men jumped out of the car and a driver stayed inside, she said.

"They knocked both Marie and our other sister down," Hill said. "They weren't even after the money. Marie thinks they were trying to pull them into the car. They didn't take their jewelry. They didn't say a word. She never heard them grunt. They never said it's a holdup."

Metro Police say the motive was robbery and that the men were chasing the robber, who had taken Salvati's sister-in-law's fanny pack, when the driver shot at the group, hitting Salvati in the chest.

"That's a new scenario to me," homicide Sgt. Ken Hefner said of Hill's account. "They weren't much help that night because of their condition and their situation," adding that the group was traumatized by the shooting.