Sal Minella is the primate flunky, bodyguard, and all-purpose sidekick to Johnny Fiama, but with a rather notorious name.

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 subsequently appeared 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 appearances were on The Jerry Lewis Muscular Distrophy Telethon in September 2005 and the Virmup video for Bohemian Rhapsody in November 2009. According to the Muppet Mindset interview with Bill Barretta, Henson did not return to perform Sal in the video.

Very little Sal Minella merchandise has been made. Among the only released merchandise is a Feve, which had Sal sculpted with Johnny Fiama. Additionally, Palisades Toys sculpted a Sal prototype which never got released.

Filmography

Book appearances

• Muppet Robin Hood
  • Issue #2
  • Issue #3
  • Issue #4
• Kermit's Costume Caper (2012)

See also

• Unmade Palisades Toys