It is being reported by Deadline that Joseph Mascolo has passed away after a battle with Alzheimer's Disease. Though he's held a wide variety of roles in film, television, and theater, Mascolo is best known as the scenery-chewing villain Stefano DiMera on Days of Our Lives. Mascolo joined the soap opera in 1982 after the character of DiMera was created with him in mind. Stefano was a seemingly good intentioned European businessman who was eventually revealed to be the lynchpin of several criminal organizations. Never one to let ethics stand in his way, the villain had his hands in organized crime, shady business dealings, and terrorism. Though he was unquestionably the bad guy, he was also portrayed as a complex family man with relationships with several main characters.