Mary "Mama" Valastro, the mother of "Cake Boss" star Buddy Valastro, died Thursday morning after a long struggle with ALS. She was 69.

Buddy Valastro took over the storied Carlo's Bakery in Hoboken when his father died of lung cancer in 1994 and turned it into an empire that includes nearly two dozen shops, a passel of reality shows, cookbooks and a line of bakeware. His mother, who raised her family in Little Ferry, helped with the books and appeared frequently in the early years of the show but retired after her ALS diagnosis in 2012.

"Her battle with ALS has ended, she is no longer suffering and I hope she's dancing to 'I Will Survive' with my dad right now," Valastro says in an Instagram post Thursday. His rep tells People magazine that Mary's condition had been steadily worsening in the last few months, and that she died surrounded by her family. She also leaves behind her husband, Sergio Piccinich, Sr.

ALS, also called Lou Gehrig's Disease, is a neurological disease that affects the nerves controlling voluntary muscle movement. There is no cure.

Mary Valastro was born in Altamura, Italy, in 1948 and emigrated to the United States with her family when she was six. They settled in Hoboken, and there, at age 12, she met her future husband Bartolo Valastro. They married in 1965, shortly after purchasing the Hoboken bakery, and they had five children together, Grace, Maddeline, Mary, Lisa and Buddy. She is also survived by her 14 grandchildren.

Vicki Hyman may be reached at vhyman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @vickihy or like her on Facebook.