Team PUMA Driver: Mario

You probably know Mario for his 2005 song “Let Me Love You,” BIG beat! But he’s been doing it since waaay back…  At age 15 he sold 700,000 albums on his hit single “Just A Friend.” He gave a sneak-peak back to 2005 with an impromptu a-cappella version at a gas station in Amarillo, Texas for Julie Brangstrup the 1st Lady of Gumball.  

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You may not know that he grew up singing gospel and is inspired to go back all the time.  It’s unfortunate Mario missed the Gumball krew for the opening night party in LA, which was officially off the hook, and in Vegas there was no sighting either, but we were graced when he joined the rally in Sedona after driving all night, direct from LA.  LOOONG drive.  The PUMA Maserati was working.  Pushin the sled…

We caught up with Mario all along the route.  And thankfully he came back and scooped our videographer Marco after our AZ run-in with The Law (capital L).  Check some photographs below of the funny situation when he drove back to Winslow after passing us pulled over and was immediately recognized by a girl across from Motel 6 who begged for autographs. She sparked a mini Mario-histyeria and he singed a PUMA box for one of the girls before heading out to Santa Fe. Check the dope VIMBY driver profile video:
 

 

Check more flix below, but before you do, I know Mario would want me to do ill plug of new single: “Breakup” featuring Gucci Mane and Sean Garrett, available now on iTunes, and new album “And Then There Was ME – August 2009.”