5 Things you didn't know about Santino Marella 

#2. He isn't exclusively Italian

Canada's Very Own Santino Marella

While Santino's over the top WWE character would have you believe that he is a true underdog from Milan, Italy, who rose from rags to riches with a thick accent and a flair for the comedic, that isn't exactly true.

Born Anthony Carelli, Marella is indeed Italian. His father emigrated to Canada from Italy, but the former WWE Superstar grew up speaking English and doesn't have an Italian accent. The accent was all for television, something Marella picked up from living in a cultural melting pot just outside Toronto.

The first generation Canadian considers himself a representation of the city he grew up in,

"About 50% of the city's population are immigrants, so I'm half immigrant, just like that. Two significant population groups are indigenous people and French Canadian people and that's my mom's side. I'm really a representation of the Canadian population."

Marella was so convincing with his WWE Milan Miracle character that most Canadians didn't even know he was from the Great White North. After his WWE career ended, Marella found himself reacclimating himself to his native country,

"I was working on my national presence in Canada because a lot of Canadians didn't know I was Canadian. I was Santino from Italy. I see people here that are like, 'What are you doing in Mississauga?' I'm like, 'I was born and raised here, man.' Then they're like, 'What's wrong with your voice?' [laughter] It was actually a really good transition."