<Li> Patricia Schultz (m . 2005; his death 2016) </Li> <Tr> <Th> Children </Th> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <P> Joseph Peter Mascolo (March 13, 1929--December 8, 2016) was an American musician and dramatic actor . During his long career, he 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 . </P> <P> Mascolo was born on March 13, 1929, and raised in West Hartford, Connecticut . His parents, Anna Mascolo (née DeTuccio; 1910--2010) and Peter Mascolo (1901--2008), were immigrants from Naples, Italy, and had their 80th wedding anniversary shortly before his father died . Mascolo had one sister, Marie LaVoie . He attended the United States Military Academy after graduating high school . Mascolo attended the University of Miami . To support himself financially, he studied acting under famed acting coach Stella Adler in New York City . He originally was trained in classical music and opera . </P>

Actor who played stefano dimera on days of our lives