Paul Mosso, former Newsday sports assistant editor, dies at 59

If there was a job hand-picked for Paul Mosso, it was the one he held at Newsday for nearly 25 years.

Mosso loved sports statistics and immersed himself in the world of batting averages and touchdown passes. He turned that passion into a career as an assistant editor in the Newsday sports department.

“He was like an encyclopedia, especially about the ’86 Mets and the ’69 Mets,” said nephew-in-law Tommy Grzesik, 41, of Howard Beach. “He knew a lot of Mets trivia. Anything that had to do with sports, he was all over it. Safe to say that working at Newsday was probably his dream job. It dealt with sports, and that was his whole life.”

Mosso, a lifelong Westbury resident who battled diabetes, died on Jan. 19 at Mercy Hospital in Rockville Centre, his family said. He was 59.

"In his own unassuming way, Paul was a good influence on all of us in the sports department,” said former Newsday sportswriter Mark Herrmann. “When he was unable to drive because of his vision problems, he was still so dedicated that he would take two buses to get to the office. He loved sports and loved our department and the people in it. His presence made everyone's day."

Mosso worked in the sports department from September 1986 to January 2010. His role and duties varied, but they included putting stat pages and television guides together and working as a researcher.

“Paul loved researching statistics for the reporters and was well respected at Newsday,” friend Todd Mason, 70, of North Carolina, said via email.

Mosso was relentlessly proud of — if not also frustrated by — his love for the Mets and Jets and was known affectionately as "Paul the Jets fan."

“Paul and I often talked during the second half of the Jets game,” his friend Fred Reuther, 73, of North Babylon, said in an email. “It was always terrific and funny to talk to him especially … as the game outcome would turn sour. If we hadn’t touched base yet on a particular game, if something dramatic occurred, I could anticipate my phone ringing, knowing Paul was calling with his comments.”

Born on June 1, 1963, Mosso graduated from Holy Trinity High School in Hicksville before earning a journalism degree at St. John’s University. He began working at Newsday right out of college, a fact that made him immensely proud, said niece Kristin Grzesik.

She credits Mosso with introducing her to sports, passing on his love of the Mets and taking her to her first Knicks game.

“He was a very good uncle, very smart,” said Kristin Grzesik, 39, of Howard Beach. “He would always help me with homework, whenever I would get stuck. … Whenever he would go to the mall, he would always bring me home books. He always encouraged me to read.”

Despite health problems related to diabetes, Mosso’s family said, he tried to stay positive, remaining the gregarious uncle that they loved.

“When you spoke with him, you would never know that he had health problems,” Tommy Grzesik said. “He always had a smile on his face, always an outlook of positivity.”

In addition to Kristin Grzesik, Mosso is survived by three other nieces. He was buried at Holy Rood Cemetery in Westbury alongside his two sisters and parents, Kristin Grzesik said.