Peppino Mazzullo, the Italian actor renowned for voicing the beloved puppet character Topo Gigio for over four decades, died Wednesday at his home in Santo Stefano di Briga, Sicily. He was 100 years old. The cause of death was not disclosed.

Mazzullo's career spanned more than 60 years and encompassed work in theater, radio, and television. He gained international recognition as the voice behind Topo Gigio, a floppy-eared mouse puppet originally created by Italian puppeteer Maria Perego in the late 1950s. The character first appeared on the Italian TV variety show "Canzonissima" before featuring in the 1961 film "The Magic World of Topo Gigio," as well as in numerous comics and magazines. Topo Gigio enjoyed widespread popularity across Europe and Latin America.

American audiences became familiar with the character through recurring appearances on "The Ed Sullivan Show" in the 1960s and early 1970s. The mouse was known for his small size, lifelike motions—including a moving mouth and blinking eyes—and endearing personality. The puppet required several operators to manipulate rods and cables for full effect.

Mazzullo’s voice work brought Topo Gigio to life with spontaneous dialogue and jokes, a process he described as deeply personal. In a 2023 interview with Radio Taormina, he emphasized that the character was not scripted, saying, “I didn’t just lend my voice. I felt Topo Gigio inside me.”

On “The Ed Sullivan Show,” Topo Gigio often engaged with the host, charming American viewers with his playful antics. He famously requested that Sullivan tuck him into a miniature bed, ending with the line, “Eddie, kiss me good night.” Media historian Ron Simon noted that Topo Gigio provided a warm, humanizing counterpoint to Sullivan’s typically reserved on-air demeanor.

Born Giuseppe Mazzullo on June 6, 1926, he was one of five children in a family from Santo Stefano di Briga. His father was a traffic officer, and he credited his mother’s natural comedic talent as an early influence. After working in shipyards and performing with a local amateur theater group, he graduated from a dramatic theater school in Milan in 1950 and soon joined the Italian radio network RAI.

Mazzullo was married to Annamaria Dematteis; records on surviving family members have not been publicly confirmed. Throughout his career, he shared the stage with notable Italian entertainers, including a musical performance with TV personality Raffaella Carra and a lighthearted rendition of “Strangers in the Night” in character as Topo Gigio.

He retired from voicing Topo Gigio in 2006 and later managed a theater and acting school in Messina. Reflecting on his signature role, he described the character as “the joy of living” and a vessel for expressing his most genuine self.