 He was chosen due to his fluency in multiple dialects of Italian, his expertise in hand-to-hand combat, and his deep knowledge of the Italian geography—including the interior of Benito Mussolini's compound.Savoldi was assigned to the Special Operations branch of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), with the code name "Sampson".He took part in missions in North Africa, Italy, and France during 1943–1945.