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 {{US-entertainer-stub