He was a pioneer in the advancement of the recognition of the issues associated with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Mario suffered from OCD and OCPD since he was nine years old. His obsessions and compulsions ranged from checking, perfectionism, symmetry, counting, memorizing telephone numbers, washing hands, and grooming, just to name a few. His OCD was at its worse in 1998, when he began treatment at Butler Hospital, in Providence, RI. In February 2001, one month before his daughter was born, he underwent Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) and was the first candidate in the US to have this life changing experimental procedure. Mario devoted his life to trying to educate people about the disability and to reduce the stigma associated with it.  Mario died of a medical illness unrelated to his OCD on January 5, 2009 at the very young age of 40.

The mission of the foundation is two-fold, one is to offer a scholarship each year to a graduating high school student in Rhode Island who has been diagnosed with OCD and meets eligibility requirements as described in the attached application. Second is to raise awareness of OCD in an effort to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness.