When you first meet Mario Bosco, you have the feeling that you’ve seen him somewhere before. The chances are pretty good that you have.
You may have seen him on TV or on the big screen or maybe it was walking down Bay Parkway one afternoon or maybe it was at a prayer meeting at St. Athanasius Church in Bensonhurst.
Mario has a persona you don’t forget. Although only four feet, 10-inches tall, and weighing only 85 pounds, he possesses a personality that towers above most others.
Mario grew up in Brooklyn with a condition called hypopituitarism, which is a malfunctioning pituitary gland that cannot produce the hormones necessary for physical growth. This caused him to live an extraordinary childhood, in and out of hospitals, enduring test after test, an existence that would erode the mettle of any human being.
Mario appears much younger than his 42 years of age. But he hasn’t allowed his diminutive stature to stop his dreams of being an actor. Despite hardships that would have stopped most people, Mario encountered life as a challenge and he has never stopped trying to overcome its obstacles.
His new book “From Hopeless to Hollywood,” details his unique situation and all the things he has had to overcome along the way.
He got his big break by attending the Cosby Show when it was taped at studios in Brooklyn. While Cosby has gone through his own rough times of late, Mario describes him as always a gentleman to him.
Mario talked his way backstage to meet Cosby, who gifted the would-be star with tickets to the shows. One thing led to another, and soon Mario found his way to Hollywood, meeting big-time producers and stars, all of whom seemed intrigued by the loquacious and ambitious Brooklynite.
He landed a cameo role on “NYPD Blue” and turned it into a recurring appearance. He nailed roles in films such as “54,” “The Hard Way,” “Bullet” and the remake of “The Taking of Pelham 1,2,3.”
He used a cameo appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” as a springboard for several other returns to the evening talk show.
Last season, he was a guest on NET-TV’s “Portraits of Faith” as he promoted NET’s Christmas special in which he played one of Santa’s elves, and he will appear again in this year’s Christian special on the diocesan channel network.
Talking to Mario about show business is like asking a librarian to tell you about some favorite books.
“I’m a big fan of Lucille Ball,” he says in a Brooklyn accent that could have jumped off the set of “The Sopranos.” “She was told she would never make it in show business – like some people told me.”
He also loves Bob Hope, Jackie Gleason and once met and chatted with the legendary Milton Berle.
To keep himself grounded, he attends a prayer meeting each week at St. Athanasius.
“If you don’t have faith, you don’t have your feet on the ground,” he simply puts it.
“From Hopeless to Hollywood” is and entertaining read. Written with Caitlin Mitchell, it’s one Brooklynite’s story of perseverance and faith in the face of adversity. It’s available on Amazon.
We saw Mario last night, New Year’s Eve, at a comedy club and I knew I was seeing someone special. He challenges preconceptions because he fits no stereotype and his sense of self is so strong as to be inspirational. I admire the guts and talent of comedians in general, but even more so in Mario’s case because of his self acknowledged challenges and how he has been able to take the details of his life and convert them into some hysterical scenarios using self deprecating humor with supreme confidence. I imagine he could create some great one man shows about his unique experiences that would open the eyes of many of us to things we do not understand and inspire us to overcome our various personal difficulties by putting them in a positive light. Of course he is uniquely talented and I don’t believe that we all are so fortunately compensated as to be able to rise to fame in the face of challenge, but I do believe his attitude is contagious and uplifting and that he provides much food for thought on living our lives to a fuller extent.