Born in Montelepre. Nicknamed Turiddu. He had a decent primary education but then went to work on his father's land. He was called into the Italian army but the US invasion of Sicily prevented his actual enlistment. He became involved in the wartime black market and in September 1943 he killed a Sicilian policeman at a checkpoint while transporting stolen goods. He left his identity papers at the scene and was himself wounded during the murder. In late December a number of citizens of Montelepre were arrested in a police raid, including Giuliano's father. Giuliano managed to assist in the escape of some of them from prison and a number of the freed men stayed with him.
Hiding in the mountains Giuliano and his gang took to robbery and burglary in order to gain the money they needed for food and weapons. He also joined a Sicilian nationalist group, the MIS, with close ties to the Mafia and led small-scale attacks on government and police targets in the name of this movement. His actions continued post-war and he supported the MIS and the similar MASCA with funds for the 1946 elections, in which both groups did poorly.
In 1947 with his group steadily shrinking he turned to kidnapping for ransom and turned regular profits. Also in that year there were more elections, following a limited victory for socialist-communist groups. Giuliano led his remaining men on a raid to Portella Della Ginestra on May 1, intending to capture prominent communist Girolamo Li Causi instead the event ended with eleven civilians killed and over thirty wounded. Despite this Giuliano continued to work against socialist groups whenever he had the opportunity.
By 1948 his popular support was ebbing, locals were less willing to aid Giuliano and gave the police information, despite Giuliano's tendency to kill suspected informers. The reward for his capture was doubled and a special police force was instituted to suppress banditry. Eventually in 1950, acting on the tip-off of an informer, Giuliano was killed in Castelvetrano.
A film of his life, Salvatore Giuliano, was directed by Francesco Rosi in 1961. A monument to Giuliano was raised in Montelepre in 1980.