If you have been watching MasterChef Australia, you might have already heard the name Sooshi Mango.
The viral group has quickly grown a large fan base over the years for their hilarious skits, and the three men behind the group are set to appear on the show during “viral week” as the beloved Italian matriarchs they play online.
Given this, we are sure these colourful characters will have plenty to say about what’s served up in the kitchen!
Still unsure of who they are? Scroll to learn more about them all below.
Who are the brothers in Sooshi Mango?
You might know Sooshi Mango as the European matriarchs who potter around the kitchen in their quintessential aprons or as three men with serious moustaches.
However, they are all brought to life by brothers Carlo and Joe Salanitri and their friend Andrew Manfre.
Initially, the brothers posted a video online, which was shared many times. They then wanted to share videos of their experiences growing up in an Italian family.
“After that, we decided to install a camera in the car and have it film our stupidities, we then chopped it up and posted it online, and once you get all that love from peopl,e you get addicted to that feeling; it’s almost like a drug,” Joe told The Suburban.
“Following that video, we released one called ‘Italian vs. Greeks’, and that’s what put us on the map. It was viewed so many times online, it was crazy!”
Along with their stint on MasterChef, they have toured their antics across Australia and sold-out shows in Canada.
“When we first started, the ultimate goal we set out to have was to have our own TV show,” Carlo told the publication.
“We’ve done a lot of things leading up to that point, like we’ve toured Australia nationally a few times, we’re going international as well, which is massive for us, but developing our own sitcom of some sort and even doing movies is the ultimate goal.”
One thing they did not anticipate? Opening a restaurant called Johnny, Vince & Sam’s, which is named after their comedic alter egos.
“We knew we could get them in,” Joe told Good Food in 2025 about the business. “But the food had to be good enough to get them back.”
Along with having thousands of followers and millions of views online, they also won an AACTA Award in 2021 and even have a podcast.
Their fame also led to them starring in Wog Boy 3: Wog Boys Forever.
As for where they get inspiration for their comedic personas? Their own families… even if their folks deny it.
“My aunt still has no clue that my Carmela character is based on her,” Carlo said to the Herald Sun.
“She says ‘That’s not me, I don’t talk like that!’”
Is Sooshi Mango Italian or Greek?
While they have done skits comparing Italians and Greeks, the trio specialises in celebrating their Italian heritage.
Joe has previously told 9Honey that their videos intend to be satirical and not make fun of European culture.
“We are wogs playing wogs,” he said.
“As long as you keep in your lane… people message us constantly saying our videos remind them of their dad or their grandfather… we’re keeping memories alive of these people we loved, not just putting on wigs and outfits and taking the p***.”
The term wog was initially a slur against immigrants when they migrated to Australia, but like many, the men have reclaimed it.
“The way I see it is I think the perception is the wogs, the Greeks, the Italians, the Lebanese people, who came here have assimilated now,” Joe said. “I think the newer cultures are the new ethnic groups, and they are getting treated like we got treated.”
“We suffered a lot. At school we used to get ‘wog this’ and ‘wog that’ and now with comedy, we’ve turned this derogatory term into a positive term almost and if someone calls me a wog these days, its obviously the tone but yeah, it’s the way it’s delivered to you that makes the difference.”
How did Sooshi Mango get their name?
While the trio is iconic, so is the quirky name. So, how did it all come about?
Joe told The Suburban that it was random.
“The name came to us one night because my nephew was running around the house screaming ‘SOOSHI MANGO, SOOSHI MANGO!’, and we thought that was hilarious and we just stuck with it,” he explained.
