The Mayor of the Schuylkill County Courthouse has died.

Mario Basile, 82, of Lake Wynonah, died Sunday. How did he get his nickname? Schuylkill County Sheriff Joseph Groody bestowed that honor on him because he seemed to know everyone in the courthouse.

“Mario was a very great man,” Groody said Monday.

The courthouse has been a little darker since he left, elected officials say.

“If you were having a bad day, you would go and see Mario and he would put a smile on your face,” Treasurer Linda Marchalk said.

Basile worked in the controller’s office as accountant auditor AP. He started with the county in January 2012 as a county auditor, then first deputy, a human resources employee said.

Former Controller Christy Joy said he knew Basile since 2008.

“He was the friendliest gentleman I ever knew,” he said.

Basile worked in the office when Joy was the controller. He learned a lot from Basile.

“He always told me to be diplomatic,” he said, adding being firm was also advised.

Joy said Basile was born in Minersville.

“He loved Schuylkill County,” he said.

Controller Sharyn Yackenchick said she will miss his morning greetings.

“Good morning, my friend,” is what he would say when everyone arrived at the office.

County employees were giving condolences Monday. A memorial was outside the office, his chair covered in black.

Yackenchick last spoke with Basile on Friday.

“See you on Monday morning, my friend. God willing,” he told her.

She learned he died when Joy, who lives not far from Basile, found out. Joy said he went to sleep and never awoke.

“Everybody loved him. Everyone is surprised,” she said.

Both Joy and Yackenchick said Basile had a tremendous work ethic.

Commissioners’ Chairman Barron “Boots” Hetherington said although he only knew him a year, he agreed he was an asset to the courthouse.

“He was very dedicated to the office and to the county,” he said.

Commissioner Gary Hess said he was “a true professional” and “took his work seriously.” Hess said he will be missed.

Clerk of Courts Maria Casey said Basile was kind to all he met.

“He’s one of those rare people that people only say good things about,” she said.

District Attorney Michael O’Pake said his death is “heartbreaking.”

“Mario always had a smile on his face, a story to tell, which usually involved his family members, and he was just a great family man with a great personality and will be sorely missed.

“It’s a bad loss for the county,” he said.