Joseph Mascolo (March 13, 1929 – December 8, 2016) was widely known for playing Stefano DiMera, the greatest villain to have appeared in the soap genre. He entered the role when the character originated on Days of our Lives from 1982 to 1985, returning briefly in 1988, again from 1993 to 2001, then he returns again from 2007 until Stefano's death in 2016. A gifted musician and dramatic actor, during his long career, Joseph has acted in numerous motion pictures and television series.
Outside of Days, Mascolo portrayed as Nicholas Van Buren in General Hospital from January 30 to September 3, 1989 and as Massimo Marone in The Bold and the Beautiful from August 24, 2001 to July 7, 2006.
Mascolo died on December 8, 2016, in Santa Clarita, California at the age of 87 after years of battling Alzheimer's disease.