This NJ Pizzeria Is Helping Its 50-Year Regular Find A Kidney

WAYNE, NJ — Mark Whitmore has been supporting Brother Bruno’s Pizzeria in Wayne since they opened in 1976. Now, Brother Bruno’s is helping him in his time of need.

In Spring 2025, Whitmore, a Wayne native, was diagnosed with kidney failure. After dozens of doctor’s appointments, several hospital visits, and hours of dialysis, it was determined that Whitmore would need a kidney transplant.

Unfortunately, those close to Whitmore, including his immediate family, were not a match. He came to terms that he would need to rely on a Good Samaritan to get a kidney transplant, but first, he needed to get the word out.

The husband and father of two took a marketing strategy to reach potential donors. He created posters, business cards, and a website that explained his situation and contained information about kidney donation. Now, he had to distribute the information.

Cue Brother Bruno’s Pizza.

The establishment, which has sat at 200 Hamburg Turnpike for 50 years, played a tremendous role in getting the word out about Whitmore’s situation.

The locally beloved pizzeria’s involvement began in February this year. At that time, Whitmore was suffering from a significant electrolyte imbalance due to the restrictive diet recommended by his doctors. Whitmore’s doctors encouraged him to enjoy an occasional, high-sodium cheat meal to balance out the electrolyte issues, luckily just in time for the Super Bowl.

So, Whitmore took advantage of the green light and picked up some pizza and wings from his favorite pizzeria for the big game. It was then that he properly introduced himself to the owner, Pietro Mazzella, who’d been serving him for years.

Whitmore said that when he walked into Brother Bruno’s on arguably their busiest day of the year, he was greeted with a warm welcome back, having not even had pizza in months due to his condition.

Seizing another opportunity, Whitmore asked Mazzella if he could display one of his kidney donor “business cards” in the shop and explained his situation.

Mazella not only said Whitmore could display the kidney donor information at the shop, but vowed to put a card in every single pizza delivery box they sold.

“You could have knocked me over with a feather,” Whitmore said. “I was just standing there; I couldn’t even find words to speak. I was just unbelievably blown away.”

The duo exchanged information, and Whitmore brought Brother Bruno’s thousands of cards to be put in the pizzeria’s delivery boxes. The cards would not only go to local customers but also to the deliveries of the establishment’s unique dessert pizzas that get shipped across the country.

Additionally, Mazzella promised Whitmore he’d promote his story to the pizzeria’s tens of thousands of social media followers, furthering the outreach.

“Mark is the perfect example of what Brother Bruno's Pizza is all about. A weekly customer that notices our kindness isn’t just a sales pitch. It’s genuine love and respect for others,” Mazzella posted on social media. “I’ve personally known Mark for 20 years of my life. Great man, helpful member of the community, a father, and a husband. He needs our help.”

To this day, Brother Bruno’s continues to ship Whitmore’s cards with deliveries. Mazella also keeps in close touch with Whitmore, letting him know about special events during which he can spread his story, and organize benefits to further fund his search for a kidney.

“The restaurant, and (Mazzella) specifically, have just really stepped up to the plate to help somebody like me,” Whitmore told Patch. “A lot of people like me get sick, they struggle, they get treatment, they just kind of fade away. That’s not going to be my end… With help from a place like Brother Bruno’s, I’m expanding my outreach unbelievably.”

Whitmore’s Search For A Donor

Whitmore is currently on three different waiting lists hoping for a kidney donor. A deceased kidney could take between three and seven years to get, time which he might not have. Additionally, if he does get a transplant from a deceased donor, it often does not last nearly as long as a kidney from a living donor would, experts say.

So, Whitmore’s priority is finding a living donor. His website, MarkNeedsAKidney.com, features his story, the process of kidney donations, how to see if you’re a match, and more.

Here are some key takeaways from Whitmore’s campaign, provided by Whitmore himself:

• "I’m on dialysis to stay alive while I’m searching for a living kidney donor.
• My family members are not medically eligible to donate. Now I’m turning to you, because I’m not just fighting to survive, I have a vibrant life I’m trying to return to.
• The waiting list for a deceased donor takes 3-7 years, time I might now have. 13 people die every die while waiting.
• You only need one kidney to live a normal, healthy life.
• You can donate your kidney and save my life EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT A DIRECT MATCH FOR ME through my affiliation with the National Kidney Registry (NKR) which runs a top-notch exchange program throughout the U.S.
• Most donor surgeries are minimally invasive (performed laparoscopically) and have a short recovery time (1-2 nights in the hospital and about 2 weeks at home).
• All medical costs for pre-testing, donation, and post-care are covered 100% by my insurance. NKR also offers a free suite of financial and other support services through their Donor Shield program.
• Donors have a dedicated medical team and NKR Donor Mentor focused entirely on their well-being.
• You can live anywhere in the U.S. and donate through NKR at a hospital near you."

Whitmore says that if he's lucky enough to find a kidney, he would continue to dedicate his time to helping those who were in his shoes.

"I'm very passionate about this. Not just for myself, but this has become my cause," he told Patch. "When this is over, it's not going to be over... The work has just started."

To learn if you’re a match for Whitmore, click here. He can also be reached at markwhitmore2@gmail.com.