Sal Romano

Lore & Background

In the Season 3 premiere, Don Draper sees Sal alone with a partly dressed, male hotel bellhop, but subtly assures Sal he will keep silent by drawing Sal's attention to the ad slogan they had been working on for raincoats: "Limit your exposure". Later in the third season, with Don's encouragement, Sal branches out into directing commercials for the company. Meanwhile, Sal and Kitty have not had sex in several months and Kitty tells Sal she needs "tending to". He assures her that he loves her, but his mind is elsewhere due to pressures at work. Illustrations popular in magazine advertisements in the 1950s and early 1960s are going out of style in favor of photographs, so he fears he will lose his job as an illustrator. Later in the scene, Kitty is in bed and Sal vividly demonstrates how the Ann-Margret look-alike will dance and sing "Bye Bye Birdie" in his commercial, with lyrics changed for Pepsi's new diet drink Patio. Kitty nods but appears uncomfortable with Sal's flamboyant performance.

In Their Own Story

In the Season 3 episode "Wee Small Hours", Sal rejects the advances of Lee Garner, Jr., a married Lucky Strike executive who, in retaliation, calls Harry Crane and demands Sal's removal from the account. When Harry fails to pass this on, Garner walks out of a subsequent meeting. Roger fires Sal on the spot. Don supports Roger's decision on the basis that the company can afford to lose him rather than Lucky Strike and regards Sal with disdain, implying that he should have just given Garner what he wanted. In Sal's last appearance, he calls his wife late at night from a payphone located in a park, a group of men nearby. He does not tell her he has been fired, only that he will be arriving home late.

Reader's Guide

Sal Romano is a supporting character in Mad Men, appearing from Season 1 through Season 3. He works as an art director at Sterling Cooper, later branching into directing commercials. His key relationships include his wife Kitty, his boss Don Draper, and his colleague Ken Cosgrove. Sal's arc revolves around his hidden homosexuality, which he suppresses due to societal pressures. He is fired by Roger Sterling after rejecting Lee Garner, Jr.'s advances, costing the firm the Lucky Strike account. Sal's last scene shows him calling Kitty from a payphone in a park, surrounded by men, without revealing his firing. Fans should note his departure is permanent; he does not return in later seasons.

Did You Know?

• Sal speaks to his mother in Italian, reflecting his Italian-American heritage from Baltimore.
• He turned down a proposition from a male Belle Jolie employee in Season 1, admitting he had thought about relationships with men but never acted on it.
• Don Draper silently assured Sal he would keep his secret by referencing their raincoat slogan: 'Limit your exposure'.
• Sal was fired by Roger Sterling after rejecting Lee Garner, Jr.'s advances, costing the firm the Lucky Strike account.
• In his final scene, Sal calls his wife from a payphone in a park with a group of men nearby, not telling her he was fired.