heart attack in his mid-50s. “So me and my brother have that going for us,” Jeff said sardonically. Kidding aside, Jeff knew his family history put him at risk and underwent a health transformation when he was 38. He can recall the catalyst clearly. “My wife and I were out watching our buddy do an Ironman,” he said. “We’re eating our Egg McMuffin and hash browns while he was on his bike doing a loop. Then on the second loop, we were eating a slice of pizza. It hit me. I said, ‘This is ridiculous. This guy just swam two miles. He’s on, like, a 100-mile bike ride and then he’s gonna run. What am I doing?’” The next day, Jeff went for a jog and he hasn’t stopped since. He’d done more than 30 marathons and taken off 100 pounds. “I started running, and thank God I did. That’s the only way I’ve been able to keep all the weight off, because running is a hobby now,” he said. His three sons inspire him to keep his running laces tied. “I have three boys. I’m trying to stay alive for them and trying to educate them on doing the right stuff,” he said. Family has been the secret ingredient to the Mastros’ success since Dennis moved his brood from Las Vegas to family-friendly Phoenix in the late 70s and purchased a tennis club. There, he converted a clubhouse to the legendary beef-by-the-pound restaurant, What’s Your Beef, where diners could walk up to a window and have a steak cut to order in front of their eyes. Jeff and Mike grew up in the business, working as dishwashers, bussers and cooks. Jeff went on to earn his law degree before partnering with his brother and dad on Mastro’s steakhouses. However, in the new “ The evening is a celebration of everyone’s hard work and thanking everyone for donating throughout the year. It’s a dinner with dancing and visiting — I think everybody misses that right now.” Jennifer Moser and Jeff Mastro (top) have remained nimble throughout the many changes of the Phoenix Heart Ball, as have the Heart Ball’s executive team ( above) : vice-chairs Maja Langbein and Suzanne Hilton; chairman Jennifer Moser; sweetheart Char Hubble; and chair-elect Amanda Garmany. JAN 2021 | 28 | FRONTDOORS MEDIA

venture, it’s just Jeff and Mike, each serving roles that play to their strengths. Jeff, who practiced as an attorney for a few years, is analytic, while Mike is more creative. “We’re different, which is good. It’s a family business and my brother and I have had, like, one argument in almost 30 years. We understand how the other person works,” Jeff said. Over the years, the entrepreneurial brothers have tweaked their restaurant concepts to coincide with the times. Increasingly, that means offering diners more options that align with heart health. “We have that great American steakhouse menu, but we also have seafood and salmon, Chilean sea bass. We have all sorts of vegetables, crab and shrimp cocktail,” Jeff said. “When people come in, they have options. If they’re on a diet, trying not to eat carbs, or just want to eat fewer calories, it’s very easy to do.” Lifestyle shifts like these can add up to significant health improvements — a message that Moser also wants to get out. “I’ve learned so much about heart disease and health by being involved with the Heart Ball. Not just about stroke and heart attacks, but about how easy it is to adjust your own lifestyle,” Moser said. “I’ve tried to eat a little bit better than I used to and get out and walk more.” Like Jeff Mastro, she’s taking care of her health for her children while trying to educate them about taking care of themselves. “It starts with the kids. Educating kids young and teaching them this lifestyle is really going to change our future,” she said. Which is why Moser declared the theme of her Heart Ball to be Remembering Hearts: Past, Present and Futur e. “It’s remembering those that we’ve lost in the past, like my father. It’s taking care of ourselves in the present day and doing what we can to live longer. Save the Date Remembering Hearts The 61 st Annual Phoenix Heart Ball Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021 Info and tickets at rememberinghearts.org And it’s teaching our loved ones and children how to take care of themselves so that they have a longer future,” she said. With this all in mind, Moser and the Mastros are looking to the new year in the hope of celebrating the Heart Ball together. “The evening is a celebration of everyone’s hard work and thanking everyone for donating throughout the year. It’s a dinner with dancing and visiting — I think everybody misses that right now. So we’re hoping to have that, though I’m sure there’s still going to be precautions in place,” Moser said. And so, Moser continues her unprecedented two-year chairmanship of the Phoenix Heart Ball, trying to fundraise in a pandemic to honor her dad, be here longer for her family, and teach her children how to live longer for their children. She wants to spread awareness that all of the funds donated to the Phoenix Heart Ball stay in Phoenix, so the American Heart Association can continue to educate, make changes and save lives. “That’s my mission,” she said. “ My family is why I am doing this,” Moser said. Shown here are her husband, Brent, and their children, Madison and Mason. FRONTDOORS MEDIA | 29 | JAN 2021