Joseph Mascolo Who Played Uber Villain Stefano DiMera Died At 87 

Mitchell Haaseth/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

Mascolo died Wednesday, Dec. 8 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease, a

“It is with great sorrow that we share the news of the passing of our dear friend and beloved member of the

family, Joseph Mascolo. The smile on Joe’s face is something we’d all come to find comfort in, and he will be sorely missed,”

executive producer Ken Corday said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE. “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. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family during this difficult time.”

Born March 13, 1929 in West Hartford, Connecticut, the veteran actor got guest roles on numerous TV series, including his first role as Domino in

, before scoring the role of Mayor Pete Santori on

in 1975, which was later followed with a starring role as Salvatore Maranzano 1981’s TV mini-series

The actor, who regarded theatre as his first love, appeared in numerous off-Broadway and Broadway productions throughout his career, and also earned numerous film roles, including

In 1982, he scored the role of villain Stefano DiMera on

— he appeared in over 1,600 episodes on the long-running NBC soap series, according to his iMDB page — which opened the door to his role as Nicholas Van Buren on

in 1989. Mascolo was also a familiar and beloved face on soap series

, on which he starred as Massimo Marone IV in 475 episodes from 2001-2006.

“He was such a sweet guy. He had a long-standing tradition that if he was shooting the last scene of the day, he would have whoever was left there to his dressing room for dirty martinis,” a former coworker told PEOPLE about the late actor.

#DAYS actor, Joseph Mascolo, has passed away at the age of 87. Our hearts are with his family. https://t.co/hLGdy3DRn1 pic.twitter.com/8SdZEQ0xvk

— Days of our Lives (@nbcdays) December 9, 2016

Mascolo resided with his wife Patricia Schultz-Mascolo, in Los Angeles up until his death.

He is survived by his wife, his son Peter, his step-daughter Laura, his sister, Marie and her husband Ronald LaVoie, five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, among many nieces and nephews.

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