The king of the Neapolitan drama Mario Merola was born in Naples on April 6th, 1934. He was a symbol of the city and Neapolitan song in the world. An important artist who gave prestige to Neapolitan drama during the 70s.

He has always had an important role in Neapolitan culture, bringing it from theaters to television and giving it national and international fame. Mario Merola plays various roles in his films: the boss, the man who tries to escape the law, the one who takes revenge for himself, or the humble worker who struggles with crime. “Zappatore” is Merola's masterpiece: the performance originated in 1930 and was revived fifty years later. Mario Merola's popularity was incredible: he performed in 1977 at the White House in front of the president of the United States with Luciano Pavarotti and other composers.

Mario Merola died in Castellammare di Stabia on November 12th, 2006. Today the artist is buried in the Monumental Cemetery of Naples.