Peppino Mazzullo, voice of Topo Gigio puppet, dies at 100
Peppino Mazzullo, the Italian actor who voiced the puppet Topo Gigio on The Ed Sullivan Show, died Wednesday at his home in Santo Stefano di Briga, Italy.
Career highlights and legacy
Mazzullo provided the voice for the character while Maria Perego operated its legs and mouth. Two other puppeteers managed the arms during performances on CBS television. The show debuted in December 1962 and ran until June 1971.
Memories from Ed Sullivan
Host Ed Sullivan said he felt the puppet was a living thing when Mazzullo performed. Joan Rivers wrote sketches for the character during her first paid writing job. The mouse closed every appearance with the line Eddie kiss me goodnight.
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