Tony Rosato, the Voice of DIC's Luigi, Dies at Age 62

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news for all you '80s and '90s kids out there, but another piece of your childhood has slipped away. Canadian actor Tony Rosato, who voiced Luigi in DIC's Super Mario Bros 3 and Super Mario World cartoons (1990, 1991), died on January 10. He was 62.

Rosato's agent, Larry Goldhar, confirmed the death and said an autopsy is being done. The autopsy isn't complete yet, but it appears Rosato may have died from a heart attack.

Mario fans who skew younger probably don't remember DIC's portrayal of "Brooklyn" Luigi (though Rosato was Itallian-Canadian), but he had an iconic warble that suited the perpetually nervous Mario Brother. The Internet has taken pains to preserve his role as "Mama Luigi," whether Rosato wanted it or not (probably not).

In fact, you probably won't find too many obituaries for Rosato's role as Luigi outside of game sites like Kotaku. He's noted most frequently for the characters he played on Saturday Night Live and SCTV, including – appropriately – an itallian chef who bungled his recipes often.

Unfortunately, the latter half of Rosato's life was neither relaxing nor comedic. In 2007, he was arrested for criminally harassing his wife. It was discovered he was suffering from Capgras syndrome, a condition that made him believe his wife and young daughter had been replaced by impostors.

For a little while, though, Rosato was the voice of our Saturday mornings and our Saturday nights.