Juana de Dios Castrello, better known as Diosa Costello (April 23, 1913 – June 20, 2013), was a Puerto Rican entertainer, performer, producer and club owner,
by Frederic Gleach often referred to as "the Latin
Bombshell".
Early life
Costello was born Juana de Dios Castrello y Cruz in Guayama, Puerto Rico on April 23, 1913, although 1917 is often incorrectly sourced.
Career
After performing for some time at various venues in
Spanish Harlem
East Harlem, also known as Spanish Harlem or and historically known as Italian Harlem, is a neighborhood of Upper Manhattan, New York City, roughly encompassing the area north of the Upper East Side and bounded by 96th Street to the south, F ...
, she paired with
Desi Arnaz
Desiderio Alberto Arnaz y de Acha III (March 2, 1917 – December 2, 1986) was a Cuban-born American actor, bandleader, and film and television producer. He played Ricky Ricardo on the American television sitcom '' I Love Lucy'', in which he c ...
at the
La Conga club. Costello debuted on
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
in ''
Too Many Girls'' (1939), which was directed by
George Abbott
George Francis Abbott (June 25, 1887 – January 31, 1995) was an American theatre producer, director, playwright, screenwriter, film director and producer whose career spanned eight decades.
Early years
Abbott was born in Forestville, New Yo ...
.
Costello became the first
Latina
Latina or Latinas most often refers to:
* Latinas, a demographic group in the United States
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America.
*Latin Americans
Latina and Latinas may also refer ...
on the Broadway stage. ''Too Many Girls'' was chosen to be made into a film, however, Costello decided not to go with the film because she "never liked traveling much" and stayed in New York.
[
]The Smithsonian
The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...
filmed an interview with Costello in 2006. She died in her sleep on June 20, 2013 at the age of 100 in Hollywood, Florida.
Personal
She was married to Pupi Campo
Pupi Campo (May 1, 1920, in Havana, Cuba – December 12, 2011, in Las Vegas, United States) was a Cuban entertainer, dancer and bandleader who spent most of his life in the United States. As a bandleader in the 1940s and 50s, he made recordings ...
and Italian singer Don Casino.[
]
Filmography
References
External links
*
1913 births
2013 deaths
American centenarians
American stage actresses
Puerto Rican centenarians
Puerto Rican stage actresses
People from Guayama, Puerto Rico
Women centenarians
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