Joseph Mascolo
Born and raised in West Hartford, Connecticut, Mascolo was endowed with a musical ability that seemed to guarantee a brilliant career as a classical musician. He never considered an acting career until a music scholarship took him to the University of Miami where a drama coach heard in Mascolo's hearty basso a voice that was destined for the stage. When he became a candidate for a Fulbright Scholarship to study orchestral conducting, there was a snag; Mascolo was determined to submerge himself in the study of opera in Italy and the available position was in Germany. That being the case, he passed up on the Fulbright and, instead, took advantage of an offer in New York City. Mascolo was first seen off-Broadway and on the silver screen. His appearance in the film Yes, Giorgio! gave him the opportunity to sing a duet with his friend, international super-tenor, Luciano Pavarotti. An avid tennis player and patron of the arts, Mascolo celebrates his birthday on March 13.
