Former USA TODAY editor David Mazzarella, who helped propel the newspaper to its strongest circulation years in the late 1990s, died July 17 after complications resulting from a fall. He was 87.
Mazzarella, a seasoned war correspondent, editor and AP reporter in Europe, was with USA TODAY from its improbable beginnings in the early 1980s to an impactful five-year stint as editor in chief from 1994-99 at the dawn of the digital age.
Known as “Mazz” to the staff, he brought a hard-news approach to USA TODAY, too often known more for its bright graphics and layouts rather than its journalism.
