Sal Minella



Sal Minella is the monkey flunky, bodyguard, and all-purpose sidekick to Johnny Fiama.

The puppet used for Sal originated as a generic, unclothed monkey, performing a solo line in the opening song from Muppet Treasure Island. He was performed in this instance by Jerry Nelson.

The monkey was subsequently refitted with a vest and tie, and made his debut as Sal Minella in Muppets Tonight. Sal, who has since been performed by Brian Henson, is devoted to Johnny, though some of his ideas to promote Johnny's career are a bit harebrained.

At MuppetFest, Brian Henson explained that the performers got together with a bunch of random puppets to start working out characters for Muppets Tonight. Bill picked up a puppet and started singing, as Johnny Fiama, but everybody else was fooling around with their own puppets and not paying attention. So Brian picked up a monkey and shouted, "Would you all quiet down and listen to Johnny Fiama!" and Sal was born.

Sal would subsequently appear alongside Johnny, in Muppets from Space, It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie, and The Muppets' Wizard of Oz. In the latter, Sal, even more oppressed than usual, is the only real monkey in the Wicked Witch of the West's Flying Monkeys biker gang. At the end of the television movie, he was rewarded by Dorothy with the Wicked Witch's magic biker cap.

Sal's most recent appearance was on The Jerry Lewis Muscular Distrophy Telethon in September 2005.

Filmography

 * Muppets Tonight
 * Episode 103: Billy Crystal
 * Episode 106: Tony Bennett
 * Episode 107: Sandra Bullock
 * Episode 109: Whoopi Goldberg
 * Episode 110: Martin Short
 * Episode 201: The Artist Formerly Known as Prince
 * Episode 203: Heather Locklear
 * Episode 205: Coolio & Don Rickles
 * Episode 206: Paula Abdul
 * Episode 208: The Cameo Show
 * Episode 210: The Gary Cahuenga Episode
 * Episode 211: Andie MacDowell
 * Episode 212: Johnny Fiama Leaves Home
 * Larry King Live
 * Muppets from Space
 * Muppet Race Mania
 * Family Feud
 * Movie Mania: Planet of the Apes
 * MuppetFest panels
 * The Muppet Show Live
 * Muppets Party Cruise
 * It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie
 * The Muppets' Wizard of Oz
 * The Muppets on Muppets
 * The Jerry Lewis Muscular Distrophy Telethon