Mary Valastro, mother of 'Cake Boss' star, dies at 69

HOBOKEN, N.J. — The mother of "Cake Boss" reality star Buddy Valastro has died. Mary Valastro was 69 years old.

He announced on Instagram on Thursday that his mother's "battle with ALS has ended." He wrote that she is no longer suffering and he hopes that "she's dancing to 'I Will Survive' with my dad."

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS and Lou Gehrig's disease, is a neurological disorder that affects the nerves controlling voluntary muscle movement.

Mary Valastro was born in Italy in 1948 and immigrated to the U.S. with her family when she was 6, settling in Hoboken, New Jersey. She married Bartolo Valastro in 1965, shortly after buying Carlo's Bakery in Hoboken. They had five children.

Buddy Valastro took over the bakery in 1994. It will be closed Tuesday.