The Mazzilli Family at the 2025 Mustache Bash
The Fred L. Mazzilli Foundation has mobilized residents of Brooklyn around lung health and wellness for 13 years. Tirelessly committed to confronting lung cancer, JoAnn Mazzilli-Zolotin and her family are excited about the foundation’s future and the strides being made to address the complex disease.
JoAnn and Lee, Fred’s siblings, along with their partners Michael Zolotin and Dani Mazzilli, established the foundation in 2012 shortly after Fred passed away from lung cancer. “Our foundation was established to honor Fred and because of the extraordinary care he received at NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital,” explains JoAnn Mazzilli-Zolotin, CEO of the Fred L. Mazzilli Foundation. “In cooperation with NYP, we now work to create more awareness about lung cancer, like the importance of early detection and how it can be treated in the early stages. More and more people, unfortunately, have someone that has had lung cancer in their family, or someone they’ve known has had it”
The Foundation hosts a signature annual event called the Mustache Bash that brings together community members, health professionals, and baseball legends to discuss lung cancer. With over two decades of experience in major league baseball as a player, coach, and manager, Lee Mazzilli can garner support from various eras of major league baseball history. “Lee will say this person donated this signature ball, or Darryl Strawberry said he’s going to attend this year, we’re going to honor him. It excites me that there are people around that want to help us,” shares JoAnn.
Fred Mazzilli
The Fred L. Mazzilli Foundation exists as an example of the family’s long-standing commitment to being a support system for others. “My family influenced my life by passing down values, beliefs, morality, love for each other, and traditions,” JoAnn says. “I am proud to say our foundation is run by our immediate family. We have volunteers to help us with our event, but the day-to-day of running our organization is solely done by the family. We are driven to keep Fred’s memory alive.”
Helping others remains a pivotal part of the family’s work. As treatment for lung cancer continues to evolve, JoAnn and the Mazzilli Foundation will be there to ensure local communities are aware of advancements in the field. “We are very excited that our children are now getting involved with the foundation,” she says. “We are looking forward to seeing the next generation continue our mission. The Fred L. Mazzilli Foundation is proud to contribute to and support NYP Brooklyn Methodist Hospital.”
