- Her most famous role was as Bloody Mary in Joshua Logan's original 1950 touring company of "South Pacific".
- Puerto Rican dancer and entertainer, who first came to prominence as a performer in the clubs and theatres of Spanish Harlem in the 1930's. She later partnered the relatively unknown musician Desi Arnaz at the La Conga club and persuaded the producer George Abbott to include Desi in his Broadway show "Too Many Girls" in 1939 (which, in turn, led to him appearing in the subsequent film version).
- Disliked acting in films, because she liked to improvise and hated performing according to script. She also preferred a live audience.
- Living in Las Vegas (July 2010)
- Worked as a dealer for over 20 years at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
- Costello debuted on Broadway in Too Many Girls (1939). 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 filmed an interview with Costello in 2006.
- As one of the first Latinas on Broadway, she paved the way for other Latinos. in 2011 she was one of the last remaining members of her generation, her story and her costumes spoke to the Latino influence on American performing arts.".
- Her father was a traveling merchant, but died when she was a young girl; she remembers dancing to entertain him as he lay in bed ill with pneumonia. After his death, her mother moved with the family to San Juan, to a house near El Morro. There she would find ways to escape to sing and dance in the streets for pennies the soldiers would give her.
- Costello became the first Latina on the Broadway stage.
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