Since joining Hat Trick as Head of Comedy in 2003, he has overseen the expansion of the comedy department's output and has Executive Produced numerous popular, critically acclaimed and award-winning shows including: ‘Facejacker‘, 'Fonejacker' (Best Comedy BAFTA 2008, Broadcast Award for Best New Programme 2008 and 2 RTS Awards), the BAFTA nominated 'Armstrong and Miller Show', 'Drop Dead Gorgeous' (Best Comedy Drama – British Comedy Awards 2008) and the BAFTA nominated 'The Worst Week Of My Life'.
Before joining Hat Trick, Mario worked as a Producer for BBC Radio Entertainment. In his four years there he produced over 200 programmes for Radio 4 and Radio 2 including the British Comedy Award winning 'Dead Ringers' and 'The Sofa Of Time' written by and starring Nick Frost. The BBC very kindly used to allow Mario to go off and produce TV shows too. It was during this period that Mario produced 'V Graham Norton' for Channel 4 and met Kayvan Novak. Five years later Fonejacker was born.
Prior to his stint with BBC Radio, Mario worked in comedy development with Humphrey Barclay at LWT. The first script he was given to read was something called 'Spaced' written by and starring Simon Pegg and Jessica Stevenson.
Mario began his career working as a Runner & Researcher on a sketch show for BBC2 called 'Comedy Nation'. A showcase for the rising stars of British comedy, it starred Peter Kay, Mitchell & Webb, Leigh Francis and Sacha Baron Cohen. Mario was the researcher for Sacha's segment of the show that featured the first incarnation of Borat.