Storylines
Stefano first appears on-screen in January 1982 with his son Tony surveying the citizens of Salem. Stefano travels to Salem shortly after being introduced as the friend of Lee DuMonde and it is soon revealed he is the father of Lee's daughter, Renée which adds complications to her relationship Tony. Stefano attempts to help Tony win back his wife, Liz Chandler while Stuart Whyland begins blackmailing him and Stefano kills him. In 1983, Stefano is sent to prison thanks to Detective Roman Brady. Before his death, Stefano's wife, Daphne reveals that Tony isn't his biological son. Stefano returns in 1984 with his nephew, André who has gotten plastic surgery to look like Tony. Together they plan to frame Roman for a string of murders and while Stefano discovers another daughter, Megan Hathaway. Her adoptive father, Maxwell had access to the "Three Prisms" that could cure Stefano's brain tumor. In November 1984, in his quest to obtain one of the prisms, Stefano apparently kills Roman after pushing him off a cliff. In February 1985, Bo Brady's wife Hope is framed for Megan's murder and Stefano vows revenge on the entire family. He kidnaps Roman's twins, Sami and Eric and Roman's widow Dr. Marlena Evans shoots him apparently killing. Stefano resurfaces in 1988 to claim his son Benjy who is about to be adopted by Kayla Brady and her husband Steve Johnson. He traps several of Salem's citizens on his island but his plans for revenge are foiled and he escapes.
In December 1991, John Black and Roman Brady discover Stefano in a Mayan pyramid in Mexico. The pyramid collapses and Stefano is once again believed to have perished. Though he survives the collapse, his brain tumor is slowly killing him. Stefano returns to Salem in 1993 and he is taken hostage by Curtis Reed in his weakened state; Curtis's attempt to extort money from Stefano's adopted daughter, Kristen Blake is foiled after Stefano kills him. He then convinces Tony and Kristen to marry but the marriage is runined when Stefano is revealed as the murderer. In an attempt to avoid capture, Stefano speeds away as John shoots out his tires and his car explodes. Stefano retreats to his New Orleans estate, Maison Blanche where he kidnaps Marlena and John. After the mansion burns down, Stefano buys a penthouse in Salem, next door to Marlena. Stefano sneaks into her apartment every night and opens her soul leading to Marlena becoming possessed by a demon. Under possession, Marlena pushes Stefano out of a window; after the demon is exercised, a guilt ridden Marlena helps Stefano recover. In December 1995, Tony fakes his death and frames John. Stefano is later struck by lightning and becomes so obsessed with Marlena that he bribes the judge presiding over John's murder trial to issue the death penalty. In August 1996 Stefano's plans to frame John are soon revealed and he skips town with Marlena to Paris where he is shot by his former lover, Rachel Blake. Later, his longtime confidant, Celeste Perrault reveals that he fathered her daughter, Dr. Lexie Carver the wife of Salem's police commissioner. Stefano brings Kristen's lookalike, Susan Banks to town, impregnates her and plans to pass the baby off as Kristen's baby, which she actually miscarried; Susan gives birth in February 1997 to Elvis and flees after discovering Stefano's plan. After recovering from a heart attack, Stefano marries Vivian Alamain on December 16, 1998, and plots to kill her to get back all of his belongings left to Vivian by her late husband and Stefano's employee, Jonesy Jones. In 1999, Stefano brainwashes Hope Brady into thinking she is Princess Gina Von Amberg and Gina now in love with John, kidnaps him; feeling betrayed, Stefano exiles her to Paris.
In early 2000, the Brady's rescue Hope from Paris. Hope learns she is pregnant and Stefano believes he is the father. Stefano convinces Lexie to adopt a child, and then switches Hope's son with another, leaving the child with Lexie and Abe. In 2001, the truth about the baby switch is revealed and Stefano skips town in June 2001.
In 2006, an ill Stefano sends little Elvis, now known as EJ to impregnate Sami Brady so they can use the fetus's stem cells. After they steal John's kidney, Stefano proposes that Sami and EJ marry and raise the child together so they can end the feud between the families. In 2008, the origins of the feud are finally revealed and John Black is revealed to be Stefano's paternal half-brother, the son of Santo DiMera and Colleen Brady. Stefano had once again erased John's memory in an attempt to turn him to the Pawn again. In 2009 Stefano agrees to help EJ's wife, Nicole hide the fact that she switched another baby with Sami's at birth. EJ is furious when he learns the truth and he kidnaps his daughter, Sydney and fakes her death, leaving everyone devastated, including Stefano. Stefano learns from Anna DiMera that EJ paid her to care for Sydney while everyone believed she was dead; he uses the information to rebuild his relationship with EJ. In September 2009, Stefano marries Kate Roberts after helping her get out from under attempted murder charges.
In 2010, Madeline Peterson Woods returns to Salem and after she dies, it is revealed that her son, Chad was actually fathered by Stefano, and Madeline convinced Kate to keep the secret. In 2011, Stefano helps EJ kidnap Sami's husband, Rafe Hernandez and keep him in the DiMera basement while putting a lookalike in his place. In 2012, the DiMera empire begins to crumble when Stefano learns EJ isn't really his son and Lexie is diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor thanks to toxic gases she was exposed to when Stefano had André kidnap her. Meanwhile, Kate has an affair with a man from her past, Ian McAllister and Stefano files for divorce, taking everything from her. Stefano also turns John and Hope back into the Pawn and Princess Gina after revealing they are married; he forces them to retrieve a precious coin from Alamainia for him. Several other schemes continue to backfire on Stefano including his attempt to sabotage EJ's mayoral campaign and him blackmailing Will Horton. Having angered many of his enemies, Stefano is shot and presumably killed in early June 2012. Suspicion for the murder quickly falls upon EJ, who continuously professes his innocence, but no one, save for Will or Sami, seem to believe him. After a series of explosions rock Salem in early August 2012, EJ flees with Sami in tow, and is subsequently abducted by Ian McAllister, who professes that he framed EJ for Stefano's "murder". Ian then pulls back a curtain, revealing a very much alive Stefano, who is unconscious, bound in a chair and wearing a mask. Ian also confesses to falsifying Alice's letter, as well as the blood test that stated EJ wasn't Stefano's son. Stefano suddenly resurfaces in Europe and convinces his daughter Kristen to come home and bring the family back together.
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