Due to recent economic hardship, many lower income citizens in Italy have been having a hard time paying their water bills which has led to many water shutoffs. This unfortunate situation has led to a strange kind of “vigilantism,” however. Local plumbers have taken to dressing as Nintendo’s Super Mario to provide what they see as “the right to water,” as reported by Corriele Della Sera, by providing access to the water system after the water company has cut it off.

Besides enjoying the irony, these Italian plumbers need to wear disguises since the activity is highly illegal. They receive hundreds of cases every day through various social media outlets before selecting the ones they deem to be the most dire. The group is attempting to move their activities from their usual late working hours into the daytime so as to further highlight the dire need for water in parts of the city.