el Micha r t s Ma o
Real People Real Stories
The Addiction
Monster by Dominique Verrecchio
photo by Andrew Andreozzi
A
ddiction is something that has plagued humanity since the beginning of time. Addiction has no prejudice. It comes in many different forms. Michael Mastro, a South Philadelphia native, was a well-liked kid raised by an extremely loving and supportive family. As a teenager, he began experimenting with drugs, not thinking this choice would heavily affect his future. “I was looking up to all of the wrong people. Even though at the time they seemed like they were the right people to look up to and be around,” Mastro says.
He started doing pills at the age of 15 because he thought it was cool. His abuse began as recreational, only taking place on the weekends, but he soon found himself using daily and not knowing he was digging himself deeper into addiction. At 16, Mastro reached out to his biological father, which would only make his addiction worsen. “I always heard stories about what he was into and honestly it intrigued me, so I started to hang out with him. I got involved in things that a teenage kid should never do.” Mastro started selling drugs and got thrown out of school. “After I got kicked out, I continued to live a fast lifestyle by trying to keep up with the guys who were older
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than me. I fell through the cracks. I started to do pills on a level that was out of control. I still didn’t realize I was an addict. I was in denial.” At 19, Mastro was arrested for possession and distribution of cocaine and sentenced to nine months in prison. Although he promised himself that he would turn his back on drugs for good, within a month of his release he was using again. He didn’t recognize himself. “I was doing terrible things to the people who love me the most.” Mastro went to prison twice more for distribution of narcotics. Though he promised himself he would get out and get clean, he didn’t know anything about recovery. It was never long before he started doing
| rowhome magazine | April / May / June 2017
pills again; the battle just continued. In 2016, Mastro’s grandmother Josie Mastro, the closest person in his life, passed away. This devastating event brought him to his lowest point. “It took me down a path of such pain that the only way I knew how to cover it was with pills. Still, to this day, I struggle with the fact that she is gone. But I know she is watching over me and she is the one who gave me the strength to finally keep my promise of recovery.” In August of 2016, Mastro received a phone call from his cousin who was also a recovering addict. He explained that another friend, Christopher Ferry, was opening a rehabilitation center in Florida. It was called Boca Recovery and they offered Mastro the opportunity that would finally give him his life back. “I was the first client to go through the facility. Not only did Chris give me a scholarship, but after completion, he offered me a job as the outreach coordinator for Philadelphia and South Jersey,” says Mastro, who has been clean for seven months.
He is living a much happier and healthier life in sobriety. “It was the best move I’ve ever made. Boca gave me my life back. They gave me my family back. And they gave me a platform to speak out and help recovering addicts find their lives and get the help that they need. The way my life is today, I would have never dreamed of it. I am living a drug-free life with a job that I love. I am finally able to be there for my family, compared to the way I was when I was active in my addiction.” Mastro wants to thank his cousin Dominic, Chris Ferry and Boca Recovery Center for helping him get through the worst point in his life and teaching him that there is a better way of life. He would also like to thank his family, girlfriend and her two sons for being there for him throughout his years of drug abuse and now in his recovery. He has a message to anyone who is in the same situation that he once was in. If you are ready to seek help, he is just a phone call away. Call him at 215.398.5754 or 215.398.9676. prh gohomephilly.com