Tafazzi is a comic character created by Carlo Turati and portrayed by Giacomo Poretti, member of the group "Aldo, Giovanni e Giacomo

Aldo, Giovanni e Giacomo

Aldo, Giovanni & Giacomo is a trio of Italian comedians and film actors consisting respectively of Aldo Baglio, Giovanni Storti and Giacomo Poretti.-Filmography:*Tre uomini e una gamba *Così è la vita *Chiedimi se sono felice...

". It originally appeared in Mai dire Gol, a comic-sports television show by the Gialappa's Band

Gialappa's Band

Gialappa's Band is the name used by Marco Santin , Carlo Taranto and Giorgio Gherarducci , the Italian trio of TV and radio commentators.-Overview:...

, but later appeared in other works of Aldo, Giovanni e Giacomo, including the theatre show I corti.

Tafazzi is a sort of mime

Mime artist

A mime artist is someone who uses mime as a theatrical medium or as a performance art, involving miming, or the acting out a story through body motions, without use of speech. In earlier times, in English, such a performer was referred to as a mummer...

 wearing a black tracksuit and a jockstrap, who does nothing but beat his jockstrap with a plastic bottle.

The character is the source of the name of the protein Tafazzin

Tafazzin

Tafazzin is a protein that in humans is encoded by the TAZ gene. Tafazzin is highly expressed in cardiac and skeletal muscle. It is involved in the metabolism of cardiolipin....

.