'Days Of Our Lives' villain Joseph Mascolo dies of Alzheimer’s disease

Veteran actor Joseph Mascolo, most notably known for his iconic villain role in NBC’s long-running soap opera “Days Of Our Lives” (“DOOL”), has passed away on Wednesday at 87 years old after battling Alzheimer’s disease.

Mascolo made a mark in daytime television for his 18-year portrayal of Stefano DiMera, a vicious criminal mastermind who had a long reign of terror in Salem City. His character was killed off from “DOOL” in January this year, when he was shot to death by Hope Brady (Kristian Alfonso). Whilst he has “died” and “rose again” in previous episodes, there certainly was no coming back from the last incident.

The recent storylines of “Days Of Our Lives” tackle Stefano’s murder case – in an attempt to free Hope, her love interest Rafe (Galen Gering) made a background check and found out that the villain knew he was terminally ill prior to his death. It is being suggested that Stefano pushed Hope to kill him as his own way of suicide.

In real life, the actor portraying Mascolo suffered from Alzheimer’s disease before finally succumbing to the illness this week. “It is with great sorrow that we share the news of the passing of our dear friend and beloved member of the Days of our Lives family, Joseph Mascolo," "Days of Our Lives" executive producer Ken Corday said in a statement, according to NBC.

"The smile on Joe's face is something we'd all come to find comfort in, and he will be sorely missed. His larger than life presence, kind heart, and unwavering positivity has impacted us all for decades, and will live on in the memories of his many fans," Corday added.

In addition to “Days Of Our Lives,” Mascolo also lent his acting prowess in other soap operas. He played Carlo Alvarez on “Santa Barbara” in 1985, Nicholas Van Buren on “General Hospital” in 1989 and Massimo Marone IV on “The Bold and the Beautiful” from 2001 to 2006. He also appeared on the big screen, including "Diary of a Mad Housewife," "Jaws II," "Shaft's Big Score" and "Heat." Mascolo also earned a primetime Emmy nomination as Poppa in the NBC mini-series "Poppa and Me."

“DOOL” fans are definitely expected to tune in to see the developments in Stefano’s murder case. Find out what happens next to “Days Of Our Lives,” which airs weekdays in Australia on 12:45 p.m. on Foxtel’s Arena channel. In the US, “DOOL” airs at 1 p.m. on NBC and 8 p.m. on POP.