Theresa DeVito, born Theresa Scialla, was the elder sister of Hollywood actor Danny DeVito, a professional who worked as an inventory management specialist at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, and who led an overall devoted and faith-centered life in Interlaken, NJ until her death on July 1, 2014.
This guide, unlike most other articles on the subject, does not just surface facts, but reveals her confirmed career history, family background, Italian-Albanian descent, and the actual facts as stated in her published obituary that competitors have totally overlooked.
Theresa Scialla — Quick Bio
| Full Name | Theresa DeVito Scialla |
| Date of Birth | April 2, 1934 (Brooklyn, New York) |
| Date of Death | July 1, 2014 (aged 80) |
| Place of Death | Interlaken, New Jersey, Monmouth County |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Italian-American (Basilicata and Albanian Arbëresh roots) |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Profession | Fort Monmouth Inventory Management Specialist |
| Retired | 1988 |
| Parents | Daniel Michael DeVito Sr. (1901–1982) and Julia DeVito (1904–1990) |
| Siblings | Danny DeVito (brother), Angela (DeVito) Lucia (sister, deceased) |
| Spouse | Fred Scialla |
| Children | Judy Page, Fred Scialla III (predeceased) |
| Grandchildren | Martin Page, Kate Page, Tara Aho and husband David |
| Net Worth | Not made public (private citizen) |
| Social Media | None |
Who Was Theresa Scialla?
Theresa Scialla was an American woman whose recognition came largely from being the elder sister of filmmaker and actor Danny DeVito. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1934 and raised within the close-knit DeVito family in Asbury Park and Neptune, New Jersey.
She was not a celebrity and never wanted to be noticed. She relied on the principles of hard work, strong Catholic faith, and loyalty to her family as the foundation of her identity throughout her 80 years.
The most striking feature of Theresa’s life is how much it went against what you would expect of a celebrity’s sibling. She built an actual career, raised children, and died peacefully in her own home, having lived a full and substantial life entirely on her own terms.
Early Life and Family Roots
Theresa was born into an Italian-American Catholic family whose lineage traced back to San Fele in the Basilicata region of Italy, and to the Arbëresh Albanian community of Calabria. This heritage shaped the family’s food, values, and tight community bonds.
Her mother, Julia DeVito, was a homemaker known for cooking traditional regional Italian cuisine, including fennel, broccoli rabe, and dandelion greens, which formed the heart of the DeVito kitchen. Julia also had a small acting presence, appearing as Gabriella De Palma in two episodes of the TV series Taxi, and in a role on Gimme a Break!
Her father, Daniel Michael DeVito Sr., was a small business owner. He ran a candy shop on Springwood Avenue in Asbury Park, and later became a bookmaker, accepting bets on horse races from his home. He passed away in 1982, and Julia followed in 1990.
Family Note: Theresa had two siblings, her younger brother Danny DeVito, the well-known actor, and her sister Angela DeVito Lucia, both of whom preceded her in death. All three children were raised in Asbury Park, New Jersey, in the Catholic faith.
Theresa Scialla’s Career at Fort Monmouth
Among the most overlooked facts about Theresa Scialla is that she had a real and long professional career. She served at Fort Monmouth, a U.S. Army installation in Eatontown, New Jersey, as an inventory management specialist.
Fort Monmouth was a major military research and development base focused on communications. In her role as an inventory management specialist, Theresa was required to be precise, responsible, and consistently professional, qualities that those who knew her confirmed she carried into every aspect of her life.
She served in this position over a long period before retiring in 1988. A former colleague posted a tribute on her memorial site in 2016, recalling that Theresa had been one of their earliest friends at the Fort Monmouth Commissary as far back as 1976, describing her as so kind and a wonderful person.
Career Snapshot
| Employer | Fort Monmouth, U.S. Army Base, New Jersey |
| Role | Inventory Management Specialist |
| Employment Start | ~1976 (based on colleague tribute) |
| Retirement Year | 1988 |
| Known For | Kindness, professionalism, friendly working relationships |
Theresa Scialla and Danny DeVito: The Sister and Brother Relationship
Theresa and Danny shared the same childhood background, the same values of Catholicism, Italian heritage, and the tight-knit family structure of coastal New Jersey. Although Danny later moved to New York to pursue acting, and eventually to Beverly Hills as a Hollywood star, the sibling bond remained.
The clearest evidence of their relationship appears in Theresa’s official obituary. Among the surviving family members listed are Danny DeVito and his then-wife Rhea Perlman. Danny’s children, nieces Lucy and Gracie DeVito and nephew Jake DeVito, are also mentioned by name, indicating that the extended family remained genuinely close.
Community members who left messages in her memory after Theresa’s passing reached out to Danny directly, with tributes noting that sisters are very special and expressing condolences to the entire family. This shows the loss was publicly acknowledged as deeply personal to him.
What Danny DeVito Has Said About Family
In various interviews, Danny DeVito has spoken about how his family and New Jersey upbringing shaped who he became. His working-class roots, the candy store, the neighborhood, and the Italian cooking are things he has referenced with evident sincerity. Theresa was part of all of that.
Marriage, Children, and Family Life
Theresa DeVito took the surname Scialla upon marrying her husband. Together they had at least two children. Her son, Fred Scialla III, passed away before his mother, while her daughter Judy Page survived her.
Judy and her husband James Page lived in Interlaken, New Jersey, the same town where Theresa spent her final years. Her grandchildren Kate Page and Tara Aho, along with Tara’s husband David, were also a meaningful part of her later life and were mentioned in her obituary.
- Daughter: Judy Page (wife of James Page), Interlaken, NJ
- Son: Fred Scialla III (predeceased)
- Grandchildren: Kate Page and Tara Aho (married David Aho)
- Nieces: Lucy, Gracie, Nancy DeVito
- Nephews: Peter Lucia, Jake DeVito
According to community members who grew up near the family in Neptune, Theresa was a central figure in their childhood years, offering guidance, love, and care to neighborhood children who admired her. Her home was clearly a welcoming place that extended well beyond her immediate family.
Religion, Values, and What She Will Be Remembered For
The most authoritative public source on Theresa Scialla’s life is her obituary, which highlights three things she will always be remembered for:
Her love of cooking, inherited through the tradition of her mother Julia and the regional Italian cuisine she grew up with. Her love of animals, a quiet and consistent expression of care that reflected her character. And her unwavering devotion and loyalty to the Catholic Church, the religious foundation that informed every part of her life.
These three qualities, food, animals, and faith, capture the kind of person Theresa was. She was nurturing, grounded, and deeply steady. Those close to her called her an angel, a word that appeared more than once across the eulogies and tributes written after her death.
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Death and Legacy
Theresa DeVito Scialla passed away on Tuesday, July 1, 2014, at her home in Interlaken, New Jersey. She was 80 years old. No cause of death was recorded publicly, which was consistent with her lifelong preference for privacy.
Her parents Daniel and Julia DeVito, her son Fred Scialla III, and her sister Angela Lucia all preceded her in death. Her passing was mourned not only by family but by a wide circle of friends, neighbors, and former colleagues whose tributes speak to how well-regarded she was.
One neighbor wrote: “Theresa was a significant part of my childhood because I lived practically right next to her on Green Grove Place in Neptune. Thank you for your guidance, love, and care. Rest in peace, Mrs. Scialla. You are part of so many good childhood memories.”
Her legacy is not made up of public recognition, awards, or celebrated achievements. It is built on the number of lives she quietly touched as a mother, grandmother, sister, coworker, neighbor, and friend. That is the kind of legacy no spotlight can replicate.
What Other Articles Have Missed About Theresa Scialla
Most articles about Theresa Scialla leave out important details from the public record. The following facts are frequently overlooked in competitor coverage:
| Overlooked Fact | What Was Missed |
| Career at Fort Monmouth | Most articles ignore her actual professional career entirely |
| Birthplace: Brooklyn, NY | She was born in Brooklyn, not New Jersey |
| Italian-Albanian heritage | The Arbëresh Albanian, Calabrian roots of the family are rarely mentioned |
| Mother’s acting career | Julia DeVito appeared in Taxi and Gimme a Break! |
| Children’s names | Fred Scialla III and Judy Page are part of the public record |
| Grandchildren’s names | Kate Page and Tara Aho are named in the obituary |
| Sister Angela Lucia | Another sibling who also passed before Theresa |
| Exact date of death | July 1, 2014, not just “2014” |
Theresa Scialla: Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Who was Theresa Scialla?
Theresa Scialla, born Theresa DeVito, was the sister of actor Danny DeVito. She was a private American woman born in Brooklyn in 1934 who spent most of her life in New Jersey, working as an inventory management specialist at Fort Monmouth until her retirement in 1988.
Q: When did Theresa Scialla die?
Theresa Scialla died on July 1, 2014, at her home in Interlaken, Monmouth County, New Jersey. She was 80 years old.
Q: What did Theresa Scialla do for work?
She served as an inventory management specialist at Fort Monmouth, a U.S. Army base in New Jersey. She held this position for over a decade before retiring in 1988.
Q: Did Theresa Scialla work in Hollywood or entertainment?
No. Theresa had no connection to the entertainment industry, unlike her brother Danny DeVito. She built her career in government and military administration at Fort Monmouth.
Q: Who were Theresa Scialla’s parents?
Her parents were Daniel Michael DeVito Sr. (1901–1982) and Julia DeVito (1904–1990). The family had roots in Basilicata, Italy, and the Arbëresh Albanian community of Calabria.
Q: Did Theresa Scialla have children?
Yes. She had a son, Fred Scialla III, who passed away before her, and a daughter, Judy Page, who survived her. She also had two grandchildren, Kate Page and Tara Aho.
Q: Was Theresa older or younger than Danny DeVito?
Theresa was the older sister. She was born in 1934, while Danny DeVito was born on November 17, 1944, making her approximately 10 years his senior.
Q: Where did Theresa Scialla live?
Theresa grew up in Neptune and Asbury Park, New Jersey. In her later years, she lived in Interlaken, Monmouth County, New Jersey, where she also passed away in 2014.
Q: What was Theresa Scialla’s net worth?
Theresa Scialla’s net worth was never made public, as she was a private citizen. No reliable financial estimate exists, given that she was a career civil service employee and not a public figure.
Final Thoughts
The story of Theresa Scialla is one that most celebrity-adjacent biographies have not told well. She was not a background character in Danny DeVito’s life. She was a complete individual, a working professional, a mother, a grandmother, a neighbor, and a woman of faith, someone who showed up every day, at Fort Monmouth and in the lives of those around her, with warmth and consistency.
What stands out most, when reading through the obituary tributes, is how many people referred to her as an angel. Not once or twice, but several times, from several different people who had no reason to exaggerate. That is a real legacy. That is the kind of reputation that can only be built over a lifetime and cannot be faked.
In a world that chases fame, Theresa Scialla chose to live an extraordinary quiet life. And that is worth writing about.
