Before his umpiring career, Salerno was a pitcher in the Boston Red Sox organization. He was drafted out of high school, being able to throw a 95 mph fastball. He only had one loss in his high school career, which resulted when he threw a no-hitter. He played for the Marion Red Sox of the Ohio–Indiana League in. He was drafted into the army and Boston a couple of days apart. Unfortunately, he broke both his arms after falling out of a jeep during service and was unable to pitch again. After his relatively short-lived playing career, Salerno became a New York state police officer, and spent time as both a trooper and a motor vehicle licensing examiner. He also umpired local baseball and softball games, and eventually enrolled in the Al Somers Umpire School in Daytona Beach, Florida.
After spending time in various levels of the minor leagues, Salerno joined the American League staff in September 1961 at the age of 30. Salerno was the third base umpire when Roger Maris hit his record-breaking 61st home run in Yankee Stadium. On September 16, 1968, Salerno received a call from American League presidentJoe Cronin, informing Salerno that he and crewmate Bill Valentine were being fired, effective immediately. Cronin told Salerno and the press that he was fired for being a poor umpire. However, Salerno and Valentine had in fact been working to form a union of American League umpires, with the hopes that they could join their National League counterparts to form one union of Major League umpires. Bill Kunkel, a former Major League pitcher, and Jake O'Donnell, who was already a referee in the NBA, were called up to replace Salerno and Valentine. After the 1968 season, Salerno and Valentine filed a $4 million lawsuit against the American League and Major League Baseball, alleging defamation of character and federal antitrust violations. In 1970, as a settlement, the American League offered the umpires full reinstatement, back pay, and $20,000 in salary, but Salerno refused the deal because of a provision that stated that the umpires would have to spend time in the minor leagues to improve their skills. Salerno and Valentine lost both cases, and Salerno returned to Utica.
Later life
Although disappointed that he would never umpire again, Salerno was also bitter, stating, "If every baseball stadium in the country blew up tomorrow, I’d be happy." Salerno continued to fight the case for the rest of his life, writing letters to lawyers the commissioner's office, and even Chief Justice John Roberts. Due to health problems, he never held a steady job after his firing. He died in Utica on August 5, 2007.
