Peppino Mazzullo, the Italian actor who voiced the puppet mouse Topo Gigio, has died at 100. His performances on *The Ed Sullivan Show* helped soften the host’s formal image and made the character a familiar presence for American viewers.

Created by Maria Perego, the 10-inch puppet first appeared on the CBS programme on 9 December 1962 and returned regularly until its final episode in 1971, ending appearances with “Eddie, kiss me goodnight.” Mazzullo voiced Topo Gigio until 2006; Joan Rivers also wrote sketches for the character early in her career. Born in 1926, Mazzullo trained in acting, worked in Italian radio and later founded a theatre in Messina, where he taught acting.