Joseph Mascolo |
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 Mascolo, on the red carpet at the 62nd Annual Mother Goose Parade in San Diego County, in 2008. |
| Born | Joseph Peter Mascolo
(1929-03-13)March 13, 1929
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| Died | December 8, 2016(2016-12-08) (aged 87)
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| Cause of death | Complications from Alzheimer's disease |
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| Alma mater | University of Miami,
United States Military Academy |
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| Occupation | Actor |
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| Years active | 1957–2016[1] |
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| Spouses |
Rose Maimone
( m. 1953; died 1986) Patricia Schultz
( m. 2005; "his death" is deprecated; use "died" instead. 2016) |
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| Children | 1 |
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Joseph Peter Mascolo (March 13, 1929 – December 8, 2016) was an American musician and dramatic actor. During his long career, he has acted in numerous motion pictures and television series. He was best known for playing supervillain Stefano DiMera, a role he originated in 1982 on NBC's Days of Our Lives.
Early life
Mascolo was born on March 11, 1929[2] and raised in West Hartford, Connecticut. His parents, Anna Mascolo (née DeTuccio; 1910–2010) and Peter Mascolo (1901–2008), were immigrants from Italy, and had their 80th wedding anniversary shortly before his father died. Mascolo had one sister, Marie LaVoie.[3] He attended the United States Military Academy after graduating high school.[4] Mascolo attended the University of Miami. To support himself financially, he studied acting under famed acting coach Stella Adler in New York City.[5] He originally trained in classical music.[5][6]
Career
Mascolo appeared in the 1978 film Jaws 2 as Len Peterson, a property developer who confronted Chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) when the Chief brought forth the underwater photograph of what he believed was another great white shark. He also appeared in the 1972 sequel Shaft's Big Score, and Sharky's Machine (1981) and Heat (1986), both starring Burt Reynolds.
Mascolo was best known in the recurring role of Stefano DiMera on Days of Our Lives from 1982 to 1985, returning briefly in 1988, again from 1993 to 2001, and making appearances again since 2007 until Stefano's death in 2016[7] and won three Soap Opera Digest Awards.[8] He has also played a wide range of roles on many different series including (but not limited to) a Stefano-like villain named Nicholas Van Buren on General Hospital, and Carlos Alvarez on Santa Barbara. Before achieving his fame, he was seen in the earlier soap operas Where the Heart Is and From These Roots. He also made primetime television appearances on All in the Family, The Eddie Capra Mysteries, Lou Grant and The Rockford Files.[9]
Mascolo portrayed Massimo Marone on CBS's The Bold and the Beautiful beginning August 2001.[10] He decided not to renew his contract with the show in July 2006, due to a lack of storyline and decided to return to Days of Our Lives, where his character Stefano DiMera was resurrected after six years.[11]
Mascolo also appeared in The Incredible Hulk in October 1979, as Mr. Arnold in the episode "Brain Child". 10 years later, he would appear again in NBC's The Trial of the Incredible Hulk, as Albert G. Tendelli, a police confidant of Daredevil.[12]
Personal life and death
Mascolo married Rose Maimone in 1953 and they have a son named Peter. Maimone died in 1986. In 2005, he married his second wife, Patricia Schultz.[13] In January 2016, Mascolo told Soap Opera Digest that he had suffered from a stroke in the spring of 2015. "During my rehab, I thought this would be a good time for Stefano to leave."[8]
Mascolo died on December 8, 2016, in Los Angeles, California at the age of 87 after years of battling Alzheimer's disease. He was survived by his wife, Patricia Schultz-Mascolo, his son Peter, his step-daughter Laura, five grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.[14]
