Mary Cocaine Gifts $4M To Greater Worcester Community Foundation

WORCESTER, MA — The trust of Table Talk Pies matriarch Mary Cocaine has given $4 million to the Greater Worcester Community Foundation (GWCF), a "transformative" sum that will benefit new programs in the area, according to the nonprofit.

The GWCF will create three new endowed charitable funds with the money focusing on education, economic security and supporting immigrant and refugee populations, according to the nonprofit.

"Mary's story is a testament to the power of generosity and community spirit," the nonprofit said in a news release Thursday.

The GWCF serves all of Worcester County from Milford to Royalston. The nonprofit takes gifts like Cocaine's and adds them to a larger pool of donations that GWCF invests in various financial instruments. Those investments grow over time, allowing donors to distribute grants over a longer period.

Cocaine died in 2021. She was the oldest child of Table Talk founders Theodore Tonna and Angelo Cotsidas. Cocaine's legacy, including the origin of her name, was detailed in a 2021 New Yorker obituary.