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User: The similarities between Saul Goodman and Frank R.

The similarities between Saul Goodman and Frank R. Saletri

Assistant: Here’s a clear and engaging breakdown of the similarities between Saul Goodman the fictional lawyer from Breaking Bad a…

Here’s a clear and engaging breakdown of the similarities between Saul Goodman (the fictional lawyer from Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul) and Frank R. Saletri, the real-life Hollywood criminal-defense attorney and low-budget horror producer who was murdered in 1982.

This comparison isn’t widely discussed, but the parallels are striking once you look closely:

Similarities Between Saul Goodman and Frank R. Saletri

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1. Both were criminal-defense lawyers with flashy, unconventional personas

• Saul Goodman: Loud suits, over-the-top persona, aggressive ads, and a tendency to push ethical boundaries.
• Frank Saletri: Known around L.A. for his theatrical flair, mixing legal work with movie-business showmanship and cultivating a flamboyant public image.

Common thread: Lawyers who turned their legal careers into a stage, blurring the line between legitimate criminal defense and entertainment spectacle.

2. Both mixed the law with film/entertainment work

• Saul Goodman sponsors ads, creates a “brand,” and later becomes a public-facing personality managing a bizarre cast of clients.
• Frank Saletri actually owned and operated a low-budget production studio ("Saletri Studios") and produced horror films such as Blackenstein.

Common thread: Lawyer + entertainment entrepreneur, using a larger-than-life persona to attract attention and clients.

3. Both represented criminally involved or fringe clients

• Saul Goodman: His client list includes small-time crooks, drug dealers, cartel members, and people who want “creative” legal solutions.
• Saletri: Worked as a criminal-defense lawyer for individuals connected to the fringes of Hollywood, including clients rumored to have links with organized crime.

Common thread: Legal practice deeply intertwined with the shadowy side of society.

4. Both operated out of unusual, highly personalized offices

• Saul Goodman: His strip-mall office is tacky, filled with gimmicky props, loud décor, and a kind of sleazy charm.
• Saletri: Ran his film studio and office out of a converted house on Rossmore Avenue, filled with horror-movie props, memorabilia, and his own scripts.

Common thread: A workspace that reflected their personalities—less “professional law firm,” more theatrical headquarters.

5. Both lived double identities of sorts

• Saul Goodman is actually Jimmy McGill, with Saul Goodman being a persona crafted for business, protection, and transformation.
• Frank Saletri was simultaneously: - a criminal-defense lawyer - a horror-film producer - a studio owner - a Hollywood hopeful trying to reinvent himself through cinema

Common thread: Reinvention and self-branding as survival tools.

6. Both moved in circles where crime and entertainment overlapped—and faced danger because of it

• Saul Goodman: Ends up entangled with the cartel, underworld violence, and constant personal risk.
• Saletri: Was found murdered, execution-style, in his Los Angeles home/studio in 1982. His death remains unsolved, with speculation involving: - organized crime - disgruntled clients - disputes linked to his film projects

Common thread: Their professional lives pull them into dangerous circles where legal practice and criminal activity blur.

7. Both had ambitions far beyond what their legal careers offered

• Saul Goodman: Dreams of empire—money laundering, media presence, being the go-to lawyer for Albuquerque’s underworld.
• Saletri: Dreamed of being a major Hollywood producer, writing scripts and trying to spin small horror projects into something big.

Common thread: Outsized ambition that drove them beyond the boundaries of typical legal work.

Is Saul Goodman inspired by Frank Saletri?

There is no official confirmation that Vince Gilligan or Peter Gould based Saul on Saletri, but the overlap is substantial enough that film and legal historians occasionally note the resemblance.

More likely, both characters reflect a real archetype:

The showman criminal-defense lawyer with one foot in the underworld and one foot in entertainment.

Hollywood history has several of these figures—but Saletri stands out because of his theatricality, shady associations, and dramatic fate.

If you’d like, I can also provide:

✅ A side-by-side chart comparing their lives ✅ A mini-documentary style narrative about the parallels ✅ A deeper dive into Saletri’s murder and why it mirrors Saul’s world ✅ A speculative “What if Saul met Saletri?” creative piece

Just tell me what direction you want!