A genealogist has uncovered that Mario Segale, the real-life inspiration for Super Mario, had a father named Luigi, suggesting a surprising, albeit coincidental, origin for the character of Luigi.
For years, it's been known that Nintendo's iconic plumber, Super Mario, was named after Washington state businessman Mario Arnold Segale, their landlord in the 1980s. Now, a senior researcher with MyHeritage, Elisabeth Zetland, has made a startling discovery: Segale's real-life father was named Luigi Maria Segale, potentially linking him to Super Mario's brother, Luigi. While Super Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto confirmed in 2015 that Mario's moniker was based on his landlord (even incorporating aspects of his appearance), the inspiration for Luigi has been less clear. Theories included Luigi rhyming with the Japanese word for 'similar' or a local pizza parlor named 'Mario & Luigi's'. Zetland's research, prompted by the release of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, delved into Segale's family history. She found that Luigi Maria Segale, born in Italy in 1886, immigrated to the US in 1909, settling in Tukwila, Washington. He served in WWI (adopting the anglicized name Louis), and became a successful independent farmer. By 1940, he and his wife Rina had a son, Mario, and had achieved financial stability, embodying 'a legacy of Italian dreams and American opportunity'. Mario Segale went on to a successful career in construction and real estate. Nintendo became his tenant, and the name 'Super Mario' was famously coined during a rent dispute when Segale confronted Nintendo officials about overdue rent. Mario Segale, who passed away in 2018, reportedly disliked the notoriety. His father, Luigi Segale, died in 1981, years before the character Luigi debuted in Super Mario Bros (1985), making the name connection a remarkable, yet likely pure, coincidence, as Zetland believes.
