Frank Mastrovito of Mastrovito Hyundai is chairing America’s Greatest Heart Run & Walk, set for June 17 at Accelerate Sports in Whitesboro, NY.
Every month, Mastrovito Hyundai supports a different nonprofit in the Mohawk Valley. It’s part of the way that Frank Mastrovito supports the community where he grew up, and is raising his family.
He’s continuing that sense of giving back by chairing America’s Greatest Heart Run & Walk, set for Saturday, June 17, at Accelerate Sports in Whitesboro. The event supports the American Heart Association’s work fighting heart disease and stroke, the No. 1 and No. 5 killers in America.
“The community has been great to us,” Mastrovito said, “and this is an opportunity to do something special for the Mohawk Valley. Heart health is a serious topic in our area. It has affected those close to me, and I’m happy to lead the charge for this event in any way we can.”
Mastrovito grew up in the automobile business, working in his father’s body shop, F-M Collision & Auto Sales, in East Utica.
“My dad taught me so much,” Mastrovito said. “I started detailing cars when I was 10 with my cousin, Anthony Alsheimer; I was sanding and taping by 12; and was a painter by the time I was 15. Then I started selling cars on his corner. It’s all I ever wanted to do.”
Mastrovito opened his Hyundai dealership on May 7, 2021. He started with 23 employees and now has 88, and sells 250-300 cars per month. The detailing and service departments are also growing quickly, Mastrovito said.
Just as the community matters to him, so do his employees.
“For me, this is a passion and a hobby, and we have a world-class team, which makes us successful,” Mastrovito said. “We have an employee-first culture, because without happy employees, you can’t have happy customers. We do 30 minutes of training every day, and everyone loves to come to work here.”
Before starting his own business, Mastrovito worked in different places across the nation, helping dealerships that weren’t reaching their full potential to improve.
Today, many of his family members work with him at Mastrovito Hyundai, including his wife, Coleen; sister, Gina Mastrovito-Smith; brothers-in-law Kristian Smith and Michael Smith; and niece and nephews Samantha, Kristian, and Rocco Mastrovito-Smith.
Mastrovito was born in Utica and moved to New Hartford when he was 6. He went to New Hartford High School, St. Lawrence University, SUNY Cortland and the NADA (National Automobile Dealers Association) Dealer Academy in Tyson Corner, McLean, Va.
He met his wife Coleen when he worked on Long Island, and they have three children, Frank, Anthony and Michael. In addition to the community work he does through his business, Mastrovito also coaches youth hockey.
“I want to thank my parents, Maryann and Frank, for teaching us right from wrong, and how important it is to give back,” Mastrovito said.
To help America’s Greatest Heart Run & Walk reach its goal of raising $750,000, Mastrovito is bringing together other community leaders to support the event. At Mastrovito Hyundai, Coleen Mastrovito, Frank and Gina Mastrovito-Smith, are leading the charge for their company.
To date, the Executive Leadership Team includes:
- Enessa Carbone, Group Vice President, Lithia Motors
- Rob Clark, Vice Chairman, Adirondack Bank
Three important parts of America’s Greatest Heart Run & Walk have also been scheduled:
- The Treadmill Challenge and WIBX Heart Telethon, sponsored by Slocum-Dickson Medical Group, will take place on Friday, June 16, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Accelerate Sports.
- The WKTV Heart Telethon, sponsored by Scalzo, Zogby & Wittig, will take place on Friday, June 16 from noon to 8 p.m., and on Saturday, June 17, from 8 a.m. to noon at Accelerate Sports
- The Health Expo and Celebration will take place on Saturday, June 17, from 10 a.m. to noon.
“Frank brings a commitment to the community that will help America’s Greatest Heart Run & Walk remain great,” said Cynthia Jones, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, Mosaic Health and board president of the American Heart Association in the Mohawk Valley. “The funds we raise at the Heart Walk and Run will help everyone in our community live longer, healthier lives.”
To register, visit UticaHeartRunWalk.org.