His estranged wife Mary Ellen was convicted in 1994 of two counts of
first degree murder for hiring a man to kill Samuels, then hiring two
other men to kill the man who allegedly helped her hire Samuels's
killer after he threatened to go to the police. Prosecutors believed
the motive was to collect on insurance policies totaling over $270,000,
plus possession of Samuels's assets, and the couple's Subway sandwich
shop which she sold for $70,000.