Farulla: zero filters, no b******t. 100k followers on social media, a twenty-year career spent as a modern nomad between Rome and Milan, and a tongue that knows no restraint. He is a polarizing figure: either loved or loathed. We aren’t here to give our opinion, but to do what we do best: ask questions without judgment and listen to the man who opened fire on a community that is often too glossy and, above all, far too diplomatic.
ALGORITHM OR LIMIT?
A format that screamed at the bartending community in a way we’ve perhaps never seen before. But how much of it was a genuine desire to strip everyone bare, and how much was just a marketing stunt? “It wasn’t a strategy. It wasn’t marketing. It was a necessity. I needed to say where I felt we had ended up at that specific moment in my life and in this industry. A reality check, without filters.” Stripping others bare means stripping yourself bare; provoking means accepting the blowback and, perhaps, knowing how to ride it. “Holding a mirror up to others means standing in front of it yourself. I’ve never spoken from a pedestal of non-existent perfection. I’m the first to have messed up, talked shit, and made bad calls. The first to have pumped my ego more than necessary. Anyone who says otherwise is lying to themselves, even before they lie to others.”
FROM THE JACKET TO THE SHIRT
Some choose to be “difficult,” while others choose to put on a crisp shirt and blend in. Farulla has arguably done both. He is a character who has made choices that were at times reckless, raw, or irrational, but always deliberate. In a polished world, these are the choices that push you outside the lines. “Then there were the others. The ones who couldn’t see past appearances. First, I was a snob. Then, I was ‘trash.’ And those who couldn’t categorize me simply decided I didn’t know how to do my job. ‘He changed his look, so he’s not a person, he’s a character.’ No. I’ve simply always been myself.”
“Being a pain in the ass” that’s probably the phrase that comes closest to how people perceive Mario. “And yeah, I rub plenty of people the wrong way without them ever having spoken to me. Not because they know me, but because they often have zero reading comprehension when I post something. Or because they can’t admit to themselves that they are part of the problem when I point out what’s broken.”
SIZE MATTERS, AND ANYONE WHO SAYS OTHERWISE IS LYING
To deny it is pure hypocrisy, but confusing reach with value is the real problem. We’re talking about a controversial figure with 100k followers; which begs the question: does everyone hate him, yet everyone follows him? In a society where follower counts matter more than brain cells, where a selfie has more value than a sharp mind, we find ourselves talking to him.
“If 100 million people watch your video and you show you have nothing to say, the only result is that 100 million people now know you have nothing to say. That’s math, not an opinion.” So let’s be clear, without being moralistic: yes, views matter. Numbers matter. But in the end, it’s all about choices in business as in life. Pick your lane, and when you open fire on others, you’d better have something solid inside, because otherwise, even 100k followers is just a hollow number.
“Hype for the sake of hype is just noise without direction. Today, many companies fall for it completely. They get blinded by bullshit-gurus, digital snake-oil salesmen, and people who mistake volume for value. If a company chooses to rely on someone who isn’t worth a damn, then in my book, that company isn’t worth a damn either.”
THE SOCIAL MEDIA CLOWN
Communication one of the most overused, exploited, and inflated terms of recent years. “Many people who meet me for the first time, or who write to me, see exactly what they want to see: the social media clown, the sideshow freak they’ve built up in their heads.” Most recently, Mario decided to speak about his illness. In a world where perfection is the standard, where flaws are hidden away and everything must be glossy, he tells the story of his heart attack. “I had a heart attack a few months ago. I nearly died. I’ve recovered, luckily, but I didn’t pretend it didn’t happen. I waited, and then I chose to say it. Because in the professional world, illness is a taboo. Let’s be blunt: who is actually ready to hire someone with heart disease, a disability, or a real physical limit?” Being raw and brutal with those in front of you forces you to be that way with yourself first, because life always brings you the bill. “I also hit a total breakdown. And no, it’s not a badge of honor. It happens. It happens to people living under constant pressure, expectations, and the spotlight. It can happen to anyone. The difference isn’t the fall it’s how you get back up.”
SAFE ZONE: BETWEEN ROME AND MILAN
The bar scene thrives where culture exists. People often talk about a sort of “Cold War” between Rome and Milan, but maybe it’s just a cheap rivalry. “Rome is a city I know. I know the crowd, the dynamics, the limits, and the possibilities. In some ways, it’s light years ahead of Milan; in others, it’s behind. Like all cities, it’s built on contradictions. Anyone who says otherwise is lying or only looking at what suits them.”
What we’re left with is a journey into the person, away from the persona. An honest, raw conversation with someone who isn’t afraid to admit his fears—because you can never run away from them. It’s that internal pressure that keeps you moving forward, ready to break some heads and do what you love.
Chase what’s beautiful. And do it without asking for permission.
