Join Priscilla Ron for an inspiring episode of ‘Restoring Education in America’ as she welcomes Joe Massa, an esteemed media professional and dear friend, to the show. Joe shares touching stories of his friend Mario Dre, a local hero and dedicated father whose recent passing has deeply impacted the community. Through heartfelt conversations, they explore the profound influence of Mario’s life, his commitment to fatherhood, and the unwavering faith that guided him through his toughest hours. Delve into Mario’s remarkable journey as a community leader and cherished friend, and discover the legacy he has left behind for his family.
00:00:03 Introduction to Restoring Education in America
Welcome to Restoring Education in America with Priscilla Ron. She’s a master educator and author leading the conversation to restore the American mind through wisdom, virtue, and truth.
SPEAKER 03 :
well hello everybody welcome to restoring education in america i’m your host priscilla ron and i’m so thrilled that you’ve decided to join the conversation today it’s an exciting year as i always say 2026 i’m so in love with all the things that are happening and the anticipation of it being america’s 250th birthday And I have all kinds of things planned for my classroom. But something I’m really excited about is a new school that is opening this fall. It’s called Excalibur Classical Academy. It’s a private school that’s opening in Centennial. And if you’d like more information, I would encourage you to go to their website, ExcaliburClassicalAcademy.org. And you’ll find out a little bit more about them there. They are restoring America’s heritage by developing servant leaders who are keepers and defenders of the principles of freedom for which our founding fathers pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor. So if you have a child who will be entering kindergarten through third grade this fall, please check them out. And something else that I’m really passionate about is fatherhood. But I did want to take the time to honor someone, a father in our community. And here to talk with me about that is my good friend, Mr. Joe Massa. Hi, Joe.
SPEAKER 02 :
Hi, Priscilla. Thanks for having me on.
SPEAKER 03 :
Now, people need to know you’re not just Joe. You’re the amazing Joe. You’re the Joe behind my intro and my outro. So everybody who listens to the show, that’s Joe’s voice that you hear.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah, you’ll probably hear me a lot on Denver radio and other stations throughout the country, but been doing radio a long time and Priscilla joined our clan of radio people and she is an all time rock star, even though you’re relatively new you would never know it so it’s just an honor to be on your intro and outro and obviously a very big honor to be on your show today.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, thank you, Joe. I wanted to share a little bit of your bio with the listeners so they know what you’ve been doing in the community. So I’m going to share. Joe Massa is a seasoned media professional podcast host and entrepreneur with over two decades of experience in radio broadcasting and podcasting. He began his career in radio in the early 2000s, working in roles such as music director, promotions director, program director, and on-air host across AM, FM, and nationally syndicated radio platforms. Today, Joe is the CEO of the Podtopia Network, a full-service podcast network and creator community focused on helping individuals and brands launch, grow, and monetize their shows and While fostering collaboration and community, he also hosts his own podcast, The Measuring Post, which explores personal growth, self-development, and meaningful storytelling through thoughtful conversations. But the most important job you have is husband and father to your two beautiful children. Tell us a little bit about what your kids are up to right now.
SPEAKER 02 :
yeah so I I all of that was very nice thank you makes me feel like I’m much older than I am uh so yeah I got two beautiful kids I had the boy first my son Luke he’s a freshman in college he goes to the Colorado School of Mines for mechanical engineering he just finished the freshman semester number one so he’s uh down for the holidays he actually goes back on Sunday so really bummed about that because it never feels like we get enough of them anymore but even after his first semes going to also be a teach a role for semester two. he’s definitely way smart more handsome, all the g very lucky that way. And firecracker of a daughter in seventh grade going o herself mentally. But she and she’s adding more and m into my beard as the tim Yeah, it’s the greatest gift and job I’ve ever held and honestly would never change it for anything in the world.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, when you say 12 year olds, I know all about 12 year olds because they teach middle school. And I can tell you that that time frame. You know, I’ve just come to terms with the fact that their frontal lobe, there’s just a huge fog right in the front. And it’s going to take a little while for that to dissipate. But you know what? Way to go, Dad. Yes.
SPEAKER 02 :
And I’ve noticed, you know, it’s easy to consider them like little adults, little grown humans. But you definitely have to remember that they’re not. And they’re still learning and putting things together. And that’s our job as parents, moms and dads to guide them, but also be patient because it’s really easy to be like, you look like you’re an adult. Why are you not doing what I would do? And then you remember, oh yeah, she’s 12. So there’s- Right.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, it’s such a beautiful thing. We’ve become friends over the last few months and social media friends as well. And every time I open my Facebook, I’ll see a beautiful picture, holidays of you and your family. And my father just passed a year ago. And, you know, the first chapter in my book, Restoring Education in America, which, by the way, you can all get on Amazon. I talk about the importance of fatherhood because I think fathers are the foundation of the family. And that’s why it really touched me when I saw your post about your friend, Dre, who I’ve never met. I didn’t know anything about him. And it just it just caused me to stop and say, who is this person? Because he obviously was special. And I went to his Facebook page and I saw that he’s a young dad and he has a young family. And that really broke my heart because fathers make such an impact in so many areas. Tell me about the first time you and Dre met and what stood out about him to you.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah, so a lot of people might know him as Dre now, but when we grew up, he was Mario. His real name is Mario, middle name Andreas, but he went by Dre. He went on to become like a musician, put out albums. So his stage persona and his adult name was Dre, but I have a hard time calling him that. So Mario and me met in middle school. It’s been well over 25 years since we first met. And he was really good friends with my older cousin. They were in the same grade. So he was two years ahead of me. He was really good friends with my cousin Keith, who unfortunately also passed away. He had an auto accident back in 2018. But me and me and Mario grew up through middle school into high school. We sort of drifted apart in our, you know, after high school years. We reconnected. His son is one grade lower than my son. They both played football and I ran into him again as an adult and our boys, I think, you know, his son was in third grade. Mine was in fourth or second and third, something like that. And we ran into each other again at the Aurora mall. They were doing this like a, fair or festival in the parking lot you know those traveling circus kind of things and i ran into him and he was coaching spartans football and my son was not very athletic at the time he was trying to get into finding something um and he looked at him he goes man that boy is really big i go yeah he’s a big kid he goes Well, call me on Monday. You’re going to go play football with me. I said, all right, let’s go, man. And I was a big football, you know, I was a big jock in high school. And so was he. So we played football together as high school kids. So he’s like, now I’m coaching. You got to get your boy on my team. I said, okay, let’s make it happen. So that’s really how we sort of rekindled our adult relationship. And then. from that season, which, by the way, was an awful season. We were 0-8. We got destroyed by everybody. But it was this really great experience to just reconnect with an old friend that I really respected. And I watched him grow into this great family man and leader in the community and just doing all these great things in the entrepreneurial space. So it was really an awesome experience to connect as adults. And we only did the one year together coaching, you know, our boys in youth football. But then we just continued to stay friends over the years. And we really grew together over that time frame. And then he ended up moving into the same neighborhood I lived in. So he’s not only, you know, a lifelong friend. He’s a mentor to my son. I was a mentor to his. But now we’re neighbors. And then our boys are going to middle school together and high school together. And, you know, it was just this really beautiful rekindling of friendship and brotherhood that was really amazing to be a part of.
SPEAKER 03 :
So you mentioned he was a musician and he was into sports. What do you think were the activities that actually meant the most to him when he was alive?
SPEAKER 02 :
It was one of the things you mentioned at the very beginning of the show. It’s fatherhood. He was a very, very dedicated husband and father. Very hands-on. He’s got three kids. Mario Jr., who is the oldest, who played football with my son. The middle child, Marquise, goes by Keese. He’s also a little musician. He’s truly the spitting image of his father and talented kid for days. Check out keys lane on all your platforms. Dude’s got a lot of talent. And then the baby girl, Mariah, who’s a year younger than my daughter. So it’s Mariah. And my girl is Maya. So we have the eyes and he was, he was an, a hustler, a grinder. He, He started record labels. He ran vending machine companies. He rented cars on Turo. He was always the guy that had multiple hustles going, but he never strayed away from number one job, which was being a hands-on dad. And that was one of the things that really inspired me and the community around him, not only his positivity and hard work ethic, but just watching him. And he would do these little daily videos and it would be football camp or dance camp and He’s he’s in the bedroom waking one of the kids up at five in the morning. Get up. Let’s go get up. No time for sleep. We got to go. And he was just this big beaming beacon of light. And it was so fun to witness. And his kids are truly a testament of how great of a dad he was. And along with his beautiful wife, Carrie, she was amazing, too. But that’s really, I think, what what kept him moving each and every day.
SPEAKER 03 :
Wow. I can imagine going from being a middle school student to becoming this adult and then finding the love of your life and then starting a family, how that could change you. And it’s beautiful to see that he put his heart and soul into his family. It’s something that we really need because we know the data, right? over 50% of marriages and in divorce. And then we know how that impacts children. We see it in mental health. We see it in crime. We see it in the poverty rate. All of those things are connected to fatherlessness. And that’s why it really impacted me because I was looking at a social media and I thought, what an engaged father who clearly was invested in his family and clearly was taking care and was a provider. And just to hear you describe how he hustled, he didn’t expect something for nothing. Like a lot of people, you know, might try to take the easy way, but he was working with his hands and there’s something honorable about that. Tell me a little bit more about his bride.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah, Carrie’s awesome. And she was also went to the same high school we did. She was a year younger than me. So he married a young and if you will, obviously not at the time, you know, it was after years. But he would be like the senior to her sophomore, I would say, or freshman. But they didn’t get in, you know, together until after high school. And they sort of just connected that way. And she’s amazing. She was amazing. hands down, very dedicated to not only him, but obviously raising the kids. And she was a true champion for him through, you know, everything he went through all the way to the bitter end. She was, she was glued to the hip with him all the, all the way. And she’s very, very sweet, very soft-spoken and obviously going through a tremendous loss right now and trying to you know, pick herself back up, which is going to take a long time, but that’s why they say it takes a village. You know, he’s got an army down here of friends and family that are going to help him and his kids and her sort of get back on their feet. And obviously you can never replace a guy like Mario, but what you can do is just be there to help guide them along the way and provide assistance when and where you can. So there it’s, there’s such a beautiful family, very tight knit, a lot of great friends, a lot of great people. His mom and her family and the sisters and everyone has been great. And, you know, it’s really unfortunate that it takes an event like losing someone to see how many people are really in your community and how much family you really have. But it was really it was something to see. It was in awe to see how many people truly loved and respected him as a as a man and a member of the community.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, that’s a really good reminder that, you know, we’re not promised tomorrow and we have to take the time, slow down. We’re all so busy, but when a friend is in need, no matter how close, you don’t have to be super close to somebody, but no matter where you are, if you know someone or work with someone, really take the time because I think that means so much to them and their families. I also noticed on social media, former city councilwoman Danielle Jurinsky posted something about his passing. And I thought, well, who is this guy? He made such a big impact in his community. What’s the connection between all of you guys?
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah, and big, big shout out to Danielle. Danielle has been such an amazing blessing to the Lane family, not only over the years, but specifically through this terrible situation. She not only financially has helped significant amounts, she’s hosted many fundraisers at some of the bars she is a part owner or owner of, including there’s another one coming up this Saturday, the 17th. at JJ’s Place, which she’s an owner at JJ’s Place. That’s the old Americas in Aurora at their Hampton and Chambers. I live in Chambers, excuse me. I believe it’s 2340 South Chambers Road. So again, a little plug there. If you have any inclination to donate either to the GoFundMe support, go in. They’re going to be donating food. You can buy a plate. All that goes to the family, JJ’s Place. But Danielle Jarenski has been a life, you know, she’s been a the lifeblood for that family financially and spiritually. And she’s really, I don’t know exactly how they met originally, but she has really been an anchor for them. And unfortunately didn’t get reelected this past cycle, but I couldn’t say enough nice things about her as a human and as a ambassador for the Aurora community. She’s been great. And Mario just had that effect on people, whether they were a city council woman or, the local janitor or the local bartender, he just connected and vibed on. He just had such good energy. Like you couldn’t help, but want to talk to him when you saw him. And he was a shorter guy. He’s like five foot seven. And he was just bigger than life. And he just had this overflowing personality and energy vibe that you just, you were drawn to. It was, it’s hard to describe if you didn’t never met the man, it was, it was breathtaking to be around him.
SPEAKER 03 :
If you’re just tuning in, my guest today is Joe Massa. He’s the CEO of Podtopia Network, but he’s also a very dear friend of the person that we’re talking about today, Mario Dre, who unfortunately just passed. And we just wanted to talk about him and remember him. and encourage the community to come out on the 17th to JJ’s Place in Aurora. They’re having a fundraiser for the family. So Joe, tell us about his journey, his illness and how long was his journey and how did he handle that?
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah, so he ended up passing from stage four terminal cancer that metastasized and spread pretty much through all corners of his body. But it originally started several years ago, and I believe it started in his bladder. So he had a spot of cancer on his bladder. They caught it. They went in there, removed it. And he was feeling pretty good. And he was in remission for a while. And he went back in for a checkup a year, year and a half later. And they basically said, hey, not only is it back, it’s like back with a vengeance. It’s no longer like this, you know, stage two area. It’s like stage four. And it was back in the same sort of area in his body was like prostate, bladder area. But then all of a sudden it’s in the lymph nodes, into his chest cavity, spread down into his lumbar system, into his bones. And I’m telling you, and I mean this wholeheartedly, I’ve seen people go through cancer and it takes them quick. And they shut down and I have never seen somebody fight the way that he fought. He literally lived longer than anyone would have in that situation that I could imagine. And the way he did it was with such positivity and such inspiration for those around him. And he really obviously behind closed doors, I’m sure there was many days when he was just a broken shell of a man. But you would never know. You would never see him on the street and be like, first of all, he really didn’t even show outward signs of deterioration almost to the very end. Even two months before he passed, you would see him be like, that’s just some regular dude out there. you know, getting a burger somewhere, you would never know that internally his body was essentially eating itself. He forego chemo treatment pretty early on. They found out that the treatment was actually having the opposite effect. It was it was speeding up the process of the cancer growth for whatever reason. It just, um, his body couldn’t handle it or didn’t handle it. So he started doing more of the Eastern and holistic treatments. He went down to Mexico and did some, uh, program down there that was like three weeks long and they, you know, worked on your diet and everything else. And unfortunately at that point, I think it was just a little too little too late. Um, It did maybe extend, give him a little bit of time, but his his inspiration and willingness to fight. And what I really love that he did for a lot of people who were watching his journey. He was very transparent about the ups, the downs, the ins, the outs every day, every week. It was these little three to five minute inspirational videos. And I’m not going to do a great justice, but. He always did this. Oh, yeah. So he would start with that every time there was this. Oh, yeah. And you just knew you were going to get a quick snippet of inspiration from a guy that really had no reason to be feeling inspirational. But I think he just kind of knew that the clock was ticking for him and he wanted to make the most of it. And I want to point out to another individual, Marcus Smith, which is a friend of Mario’s. who is also an entrepreneur and a filmmaker and this great guy, they created this amazing, like 30 to 35 minute documentary highlighting not only this journey, but Mario as a, as a man and father. And that’s available on, on Facebook, YouTube. I’ll send you the link so you can share around that. But if you got 30 minutes to kill in a box of Kleenex to do it with, you’re going to love the video. It’s truly heart wrenching and inspirational, but it’s, Beautifully made, and it truly captures who he was as an individual and as a man. So I would recommend checking it out.
SPEAKER 03 :
Wow, Joe. You called him a beacon of light, true family man, and powerhouse of an angel. Give me another story that exemplifies those descriptions of him.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah, like I said, he was this guy, you look at him and he was, you know… just this little short guy. He was a little buff guy too. He was a little tank, but he just, he just, you would think he was 10 feet tall every time you talk to him. I mean, and I’ll give you an example of like his influence in the community around him as our boys played high school football together. And because Mario was a very talented musician, he’s got multiple albums out. He started his own record label, but because he was sort of this local musician, sort of minor celebrity, if you will, The high school kids loved Mario. They loved him. He was this walking, talking celebrity that was at all the games. And there’s so many behind-the-scenes videos of him just being this big hype man for the football team. And the high school team admittedly wasn’t great. We were middle of the pack during our kids’ time there. But everyone just gravitated towards him because his faith in God was so strong. His community leadership skills were so strong. His personality was so demanding of your attention that You couldn’t ignore it even if you wanted to. And then once you start to have a conversation with the guy, you realize you didn’t want to not talk to him. He was like literally the guy that you wanted to have on your, you know, softball team from your work. You wanted to have a barbecue with him. You wanted to meet his wife and kids. And he just was this family man that he exemplified everything that was good about him. mankind and fatherhood and just being like a modern day man in a, in a generation where we’re losing some of those qualities and in fatherhood and manhood, he was everything but that he was, he was what you would aspire to be. And he was honestly an inspiration to me and to, to hundreds and literally thousands of people in the Aurora and Denver community. So I can’t give you just one example because I, there’s just so many to pick from, but he, he was everything you would hope that your son would grow up to be. I’ll put it that way.
SPEAKER 03 :
That that’s beautiful. I love that you mentioned faith, Joe, that element again, for me, not knowing who he was. Anytime I hear that someone passes as a believer, I think, Oh my goodness, I hope they had a relationship with Jesus because I do believe in heaven and Jesus Christ being our savior and, And it’s beautiful to see that, that he had that light. Like he had that, he talked about that on his social media from time to time. How do you think his faith impacted how he handled this journey towards his end of life?
SPEAKER 02 :
I don’t think his faith ever wavered. I think he truly believed it was God’s calling to bring him home. It was tough for us to watch how he got there because, you know, honestly, at the end when he finally passed, to me, it was a bit of relief and a blessing. And the only reason I say that is because he suffered a lot. It was really a long, drawn-out process. And I know how much pain he was in. Towards the end, he lost all mobility, wasn’t able to walk. um, you know, above the waist he could, but he couldn’t, he was in a wheelchair and just knowing him from the 25, 26 years of our friendship, he was such an active, busy body kind of guy. I knew that was really tough for him, but his faith never wavered. And even to the very end, it was glory to God. And you know, whatever God has in store for me, I’m ready to go. And that’s honestly my post, why I called him a powerhouse of an angel because I He lived so big and boldly on, on earth that I can only imagine up there with infinite ability and time to, he’s going to, he’s going to wreck it up there and he’s going to just absolutely do great things. And you know, his family’s very spiritual. His faith was strong and it was tested his faith. Let’s not mince words. He was tested. I truly believe that if anyone was going to get through that gauntlet, it would have been a guy like Mario and, And he put up as good of a fight as you could ever expect. So I think his faith in God catapulted him to never quit, to believe the journey and trust the journey, even if it was a devastatingly tough one. And he led that way in front of his children the whole time. And unfortunately, they had to watch him. you know, dwindle sort of a way for lack of a better term, but they also watch him be strong and tough as nails. And he really led by example. He didn’t tell you what to do. He did it and showed you how to do it. So his faith never wavered. And I’m very confident that right now he’s sitting at the right hand of our father. And I get peace in my own heart knowing that that’s the case.
SPEAKER 03 :
I think for us, the folks who are left behind, and I can definitely relate to how you’re describing his end of life because my father was in home hospice for the last three years of his life in a bed. He had nurses that had to come and clean him every day. It’s really tough to be the person left behind to see someone that you love end up having to go like that. But yes, there is a big piece knowing that they have surrendered their lives to Christ and that they are in their reward. But what do you think his family needs right now as they’re going forward at this new phase in their life?
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah, and unfortunately, like most people that when they lose a provider, they’re financially struggling. And that’s one of the things that is the biggest short-term relief that they can have. Exactly why I would encourage anyone, if you have the means, even if you can’t financially, use your prayers. donate clothing, help with food. There’s a meal train. There’s a GoFundMe. There’s an event coming up on Saturday the 17th. Hop into JJ’s place in Aurora. Even if you buy a plate of chicken wings, all that money goes to the family. Little things like that. But, you know, they’re going to need long-term prayer. They’re going to need long-term guidance. just help picking themselves back up and trying to make some sort of sense in creating a normal life. Because luckily, you know, Junior, Mario Junior is, you know, 18 years old. Mariah is, you know, 10, you know, or 9 or 10. So, like, she’s going to have a lot of formative years without her daddy. And that’s going to be tough. And that’s where guys like me and the other friends and brothers of the Lane family, we have to come in and remember that, Because Mario’s gone, this journey’s not over. It’s just beginning for his family. So really what they need is just the community to be around them. Short term, they need privacy, but they also need financial help and just time to grieve without worrying about where the next meal is coming from or where the next light bill is going to get paid from. So anything you can do financially, emotionally, spiritually, anything’s going to be greatly appreciated.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yes. So for fathers and mothers and young people who are listening, take a little extra time to love your children. family, be patient, you know, don’t take them for granted. I know for me, as I get older, I think, you know, I just be more patient, you know, we all have good days and bad days, but when the people you love start to get older, like I talked to my cousins and my siblings, like the generation of our parents, they’re all passing. And it makes you really look at your own mortality because it’s just surprising. You just never know. And so my advice would be, Just really love the people that you’re with. Give them a big hug tonight and spend some time. Put down the phone and say a prayer for the family. Tell me all their names again, the family, the wife and the kids.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah, so wife, Carrie. There’s Mario Jr. Marquise goes by Keese. And then Mariah, all Lane with the last name Lane. Beautiful family. They could definitely use the community support. And you’re absolutely right. Take time to really connect with somebody. your family, your loved one, your spouse, your children, your parents. Time’s not guaranteed. It’s a gift what we get down here. Don’t waste it being distracted. Pour yourself into your family and the people that care about you and embrace every moment that you get. That’s our best advice we could leave with.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, Joe, thank you. I can tell you were an amazing friend to Dre and it was so beautiful how you talked about him. I didn’t know Dre before, but now I know him.
SPEAKER 02 :
Thank you for giving me the time to share his story. And again, anyone that’s feeling generous or even want to say a prayer, please do so. We would love that and appreciate it very much.
SPEAKER 03 :
Thank you. And to my listeners, thank you for tuning in and catch me next time. And remember that educating the mind without the heart is no education. So seek wisdom, cultivate virtue and speak truth.
SPEAKER 01 :
Thanks for tuning in to Restoring Education in America with Priscilla Ron. Visit PriscillaRon.com to connect or learn how you can sponsor future episodes to keep this message of faith, freedom, and education on the air.
