Mario has done everything from sitting in with Louis Armstrong at the age of thirteen to performing in the Los Angeles Philharmonic for fifteen seasons under conductors Zubin Mehta and Carlo Maria Giulini. He was principal trumpet for the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra for a decade, toured Europe with the Los Angeles Brass Quintet, and has performed with the New York Philharmonic, the San Francisco Symphony, Radio City Music Hall Orchestra, and the Barnum & Bailey Circus.

In addition to his solo albums on the Crystal and Nonesuch labels, one of which was nominated for the Prix de Rome, Mario has played on hundreds of television and motion picture soundtracks and was a featured soloist for movies like Lonesome Dove and Godfather III.

Mario has taught trumpet for more than fifty years, including master classes in Asia and Europe. He performs and records regularly with his jazz quartet in the San Francisco area, and has established a worldwide reputation as a creative musician of the highest level. 

In 1986, he developed the Buzz Extension and Resistance Piece (B.E.R.P.) for all brass instruments. 

In 2013 he founded a non-profit, Jazz in the Neighborhood which seeks to sustain the art form, establish equity for local jazz artists and provide access for young artists and jazz supporters of all ages. In 2020 he founded the non-profit, Independent Musicians Alliance.