Born on July 16, 1922, in Los Angeles, California, Conti received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Santa Clara in 1945 after serving in the U.S. Army during World War II.

He was Chairman of the Civil Service Board of Appeals in Pittsburg, California from 1956 to 1958.

On January 15, 1976, he gave Sara Jane Moore a life sentence due to her attempted assassination of President Gerald Ford[2] He assumed senior status on November 1, 1987.

[1] Conti assumed inactive status on October 30, 2015, meaning that while he remained a federal judge, he no longer heard cases or participated in the business of the court.

[7] Conti was known as "Hanging Sam" due to his penchant for sentencing convicts to death, at times complaining when the ruling was not legally available to him.