The famed puppeteer in question is Sarg, a four-letter word. Sarg was the stage name of American puppeteer and television host, Paul Winchell. He was best known for his work with ventriloquist dummies, particularly Jerry Mahoney and Knucklehead Smiff. He was also the voice of many cartoon characters, including Tigger from Winnie the Pooh and Gargamel from The Smurfs. Sarg was inducted into the International Ventriloquist Hall of Fame in 2002.