Originally Posted by
Captain Obvious
https://www.npr.org/2018/11/02/663372770/mario-segale-inspiration-for-nintendos-hero-plumber-has-died
Mario Segale, who inspired one of the world's most recognizable characters in Nintendo's Mario, has died at age 84. Segale was Nintendo's landlord outside Seattle, Wash., when the company created Donkey Kong — the classic game that launched the overalls-wearing Mario.
Segale never sought to play up the connection, instead focusing on his family's lucrative businesses in heavy construction and real estate development in the bustling Seattle region. Because of his desire for privacy, few pictures of him exist online.