Hey paisanos is the catchphrase greeting from The Super Mario Bros. Super Show, the live-action and animated series that aired in 1989 with Captain Lou Albano as Mario. In the show's opening, Mario greets the audience directly, and the warm Italian greeting stuck as a shorthand for the character himself. Clips of the line later circulated online as a nostalgic meme sound, reused by gamers, streamers and video editors who want an instantly recognisable retro greeting rather than a plain hello.