Martti "Masa" Elis Niemi (20 July 1914 – 3 May 1960) was a Finnish actor, comedian, musician and entertainer.

Martti "Masa" Niemi soon became a jack of many trades: he worked as an acrobat and a magician at a circus he had founded with his siblings.

In the late 1930s Niemi joined the band Sointupojat as a drummer, where Auvo Nuotio [fi] was the lead singer.

Niemi's main profession was a car driver at the Viipurin Makkara Oy sausage factory up to the war.

Auvo Nuotio got a selection casting for Niemi at Suomen Filmiteollisuus, which got him a small part in the film Kipparikvartetti.

The film was part of the contemporary proliferation of the rillumarei [fi] style of entertainment, which the critics thought was worthless but which the public loved.

[1] Reino Helismaa noticed the 30 cm height difference between Niemi and Pakarinen as well as their natural way of working together as a comedic couple.

After this Niemi made an appearance in SF's new director Armand Lohikoski's debut film We're Coming Back where he played a lumberjack.

[1] Despite his popularity among the public, Niemi had difficulty in bearing the crushing negative reviews of the Puupää films, and he started becoming trapped in his role.

[1] His eight-year career as Pätkä and the character's great popularity took their toll on Niemi, and he started relieving his anguish with alcoholic beverages.

[1] Masa Niemi committed suicide in the outdoor hut of the Pyynikki swimming pool in Tampere by taking an overdose of sleeping pills on 30 April 1960.

[1] Niemi left a suicide note written on the back of a receipt from a cafeteria: "Hyvä on olla, kun on nolla.