Attorneys Cellino And Barnes And Their Catchy Jingle Inspired This New Comedy

The number 800-888-8888, billboards and their jingle ad put personal injury attorneys Ross Cellino and Steve Barnes on the map.

The catchy jingle cost them just $500 and catapulted this local Buffalo law firm to the national stage. And now, quite literally, the lawyers, their complex connection and jingle that made them famous are fodder for a stage play.

Cellino v. Barnes, now playing at Asylum NYC, offers a fun and funny look into this dynamic and lawyer duo who were marketing geniuses. Written by Mike B. Breen and David Rafailedes directed by Wesley Taylor and Alex Wyse, the play spotlights Cellino and Barnes from their scrappy start in 1998 to becoming a multimillion-dollar enterprise and one of the most notorious personal injury law firms in the nation.

Breen, who grew up in Buffalo, was visiting his hometown when the Cellino and Barnes breakup was in the news. “It was all people were talking about,” says Breen. “Everyone had their own connection to Cellino and Barnes and a story to tell.” And Green and Rafailedes found their story.

Jeryl Brunner: What was it about Cellino and Barnes’ story that was so compelling to be the subject of a play?

Mike Breen: At first the premise was just a joke idea. But as the articles about them were coming out it was clear that they were this great odd couple. Barnes was this cutthroat, ambitious, maybe stiff lawyer and Cellino was really this well-liked, affable guy that wasn’t too interested in conquering the world.

Brunner: Why did you find the jingle so fascinating?

Breen: On the surface it’s not that different from other jingles. I’ve heard that jingle since I was around eight-years-old and never really liked it, but would find myself humming. I always assumed it stuck with people solely because it was always on the radio. They bought a lot of airtime.

But in this Off-Broadway version of the show, when Cellino is getting the idea for the jingle, there’s a rendition that’s played on a French horn and it’s surprisingly beautiful. I think the vocals in the original commercial make it a bit grating but it’s actually a nice little melody.

Brunner: In 2020, two months after Cellino and Barnes officially dissolved their partnership, Barnes died in a plane crash. But if they remained partners and Barnes was still alive, do you believe they would be successful today?

Breen: I think they’d be just fine if they were still together. Injury attorney jingles seem ancient now, but these guys were kind of pioneers at that time. I think if you drop those same guys from thirty years ago into 2024, they would find a way to stand out from competition. They’d have an injury attorney podcast now or something.

Brunner: Why do you believe they couldn’t sustain their partnership?

Breen: I think they just wanted different things by the end of it. Those personality differences can be beneficial early on, but they probably became difficult down the road. But I don’t actually know. Barnes might have listened to System of a Down at his desk without headphones and Cellino couldn’t take it anymore.

Brunner: The play has so much humor and the story is great fodder comedy, how did you see their story?

Breen: They were an odd couple. They did a lot of the work for us. The more honest answer is probably, “comedy is all we know how to do.”

Brunner: Steve Barnes died in a plane crash in October, 2020, but did you connect Ross Cellino? Also, what do you wish you could ask them?

Breen: We never met Barnes, but Cellino came to a show. He was a great sport about the whole thing. It was a little nerve-racking to meet him because we do take some liberties in this story, but he was a great audience member and really nice guy. If I could say anything to them now, it would be “Dave wrote all the mean stuff, I tried to stop him!”

David Rafailedes: And I wouldn’t attempt to refute Mike’s claim.