Nick came to Salem in 1981, and was a seedy character who hung out at the Twilight Bar. While returning from a visit with Trish and Scotty David was shot. He made his way to the Twilight bar and met up with Nick Corelli. Nick removed he bullet and got Valerie Grant to care for David's wound. He demanded Julie pay him a large sum of dollars for David's safe return. When Nick ordered Valerie to pick up the money she refused and knocked Nick out. She picked up the money from Julie and gave it to David so he could escape from Salem.

In 1987 Nick gained a new girl, Eve Baron. Eve tried to leave Nick's business when her true father Shane Donovan adopted her but Nick forced her back into work. When Eve was assaulted she called Kimberly for help. Kimberly came to her rescue, but was also attacked, and as a result lost the child she was carrying. In 1988 Nick decided to help Eve gain back her self confidence. Nick arranged for Eve to pose on the cover of a teen fashion magazine. Eve was thrilled, and she was even more thrilled when a group of boys from her school showed an interest in her. What Eve didn't know was that Jake, the boy she liked, had made a bet with his friends to see how long it would take to score with a hooker. When Eve learned the truth she tried to commit suicide by overdosing on sleeping pills. Eve lived, but wanted revenge. Eve and Nick set the boys up at a party with drugs and alcohol, and then turned them into the police. Later Jake and his friends kidnapped Eve and left Nick a note to meet them out of town. Outside of town Nick and Jake played a game of chicken, and Nick's car went over a cliff and exploded. Unknown to everyone Nick survived the crash but was left badly burned. Nick was found by Steve Johnson, who agreed to keep his identity a secret.

Eve grieved over Nick but when Nick left everything in his will to her suspicion fell upon her. Eve ran away, but crashed her car. She was rescued and brought to an old deserted mansion by a man named Eddie. Eddie knew the mansion had belonged to Nick Corelli and he was searching for some old money Nick had hidden there. When Eve happened to find an old key Eddie took Eve to the bank where they attempted to open a safe deposit box. Eve managed to drop a note as to where she was being held captive. Nick, who was also living at his old mansion helped Shane rescue Eve. Eddie however escaped returned to the mansion to try to find the rest of the money. Eve had returned in hopes of finding the man who had helped her before, not knowing it was Nick. Steve, Kayla, and Nick were waiting for Eddie at the mansion, but he managed to elude them once again. Nick, Steve, and Kayla were charged with conspiring to hide Harper's money, but where later let off. Eve eventually learned the man in the mask was Nick.

Nick wanted Eve to have the scar on her cheek removed, but she only agreed to have the operation if Nick had his badly burned face repaired as well. Both agreed, but in the operating room Eddie showed up and threatened to kill Eve if Nick didn't turn over Harper's money to him. Eddie however was shot and killed by Shane. Both Nick and Eve underwent surgery and their painful scars were removed. Nick bought the nightclub Blondie's and turned it into Wings. He gave Eve Donovan a job singing there. Eve however was in love with Nick, and even though he loved her he felt she deserved someone better. Nick had given April Ramirez a job as the manager, and when she wanted Mike to move on without her he proposed a marriage of convenience so that both the ones they loved would move on. April accepted and the two were married. Nick became seriously ill and he needed to have an operation. After the operation Nick realized April still loved Mike, so he granted her an annulment so she could be with him.

In 1990 Nick began working for Lawrence's company Jencon Oil. Nick was a suspect in the murder of Steve Johnson, Nick was said to have rigged the boat that killed him. Nick became the victim in a who-done-it murder mystery when he was shot at a Jencon Oil site by Jo Johnson, who was avenging her son's murder.