Mario Elbano Masciulli Manelli, Baron Miglianico (Livorno, Italy, 15 September 1909 – Caracas, Venezuela, 16 October 1991) was a prominent military engineer of the Italian Regia Marina, Major of Genio Navale and belonging to the recognized Decima Flottiglia MAS as director of the Office of Submarine Secret Weapons during Second World War.

Along with captain Travaglini, step hold[clarification needed] Office of Submarine Secret Weapons, where, after several losses and failed attacks on the British base in Malta, he made improvements to the first human torpedoes, originally designed by Teseo Tesei and known as Siluro a lenta Corsa (SLC) and nicknamed "Maiale" (Pig, in English), eliminating the cause of many problems.

[1] As director of the Office of Submarine Secret Weapons, he also designed and updated the Motoscafo Armato Silurante (MAS), motorboats of between 20 and 30 tons displacement, with a crew of 10 men armed with two torpedoes, plus several machine guns and occasionally a small-calibre cannon.

The biggest success of the Maiale occurred on December 19, 1941, when Lieutenant Luigi Durand de la Penne and Emilio Bianchi used two maiale to defend the port of Alexandria, Egypt, and severely damaged two British battleships (HMS Valiant and HMS Queen Elizabeth) Other weapons were designed and built by the Office of Submarine Secret Weapons: these included acoustic mines and incendiary bombs which were designed so that the pilots of the torpedoes could introduce them into enemy ports.

Further attacks on Gibraltar using the new and larger replacement for the SLC (the Siluro San Bartolomeo type), and a planned raid on New York City were called off due to the Italian surrender.

Just three Siluro San Bartolomeo had been manufactured for the date of the Armistice between Italy and Allied armed forces, two remained in La Spezia and one was sent to Venice, which was found at the end of the war.

The company had already demonstrated their competence and high capacity when the engineer, as head of the Office of Submarine Secret Weapons, asked them for material for the preparation of the costumes used by the "Frogmen".