Nina Quartero, born Gladys Quartararo on March 17, 1908, in New York City, was the youngest of seven children from a close-knit family. She began her acting career in a Brooklyn stock company during her teenage years.
Nina's early break came when she was signed by renowned director D.W. Griffith, making her an extra in films such as Sorrows Of Satan and The Show Off. For several years, she was billed as "Gladys Quartaro." Her big opportunity arose when director James Cruze saw her screen test and cast her in the 1928 drama The Red Mark, earning her rave reviews and a promising future in Hollywood.
However, Nina's success was short-lived, as she suffered a nervous breakdown in February 1928. She began dating actor Reed Howes and was rumored to be engaged. Her unique features, including her olive skin and Spanish-Italian ancestry, allowed her to play a diverse range of characters.
Nina continued to work in the film industry, collaborating with notable actors such as Olive Borden in The Eternal Woman and John Wayne in Arizona. In 1933, she starred in the hit horror film The Monkey's Paw and signed a five-year contract with Hal Roach.
As a publicity stunt, Nina announced her engagement to football quarterback Frank Carideo, but unfortunately, he denied the engagement and demanded an apology from her. She then married John C. Outhet, a millionaire from Chicago, in 1934, only to divorce him three years later.
Nina's subsequent marriage to publicist Joseph C. Shea also ended in divorce. Although she never achieved A-list stardom, she continued to secure small roles in films like Wife Vs. Secretary and Torchy Blane In Panama. Her final film was the 1943 comedy A Lady Takes A Chance.
Nina retired from acting and lived a quiet life in Woodland Hills, California, until her passing on November 23, 1985, at the age of seventy-seven.
