From patrolling as a military police officer in Germany to investigating crimes for the Army, Roseann Trionfi-Mazzuchelli has dedicated her life to service. Now, at 63, she’s bringing her wealth of experience to a new role as Marblehead’s veterans service agent.
Trionfi-Mazzuchelli, who took over the position in September following the retirement of longtime agent David Rodgers, arrives with 21 years of military service and a decade of experience advocating for veterans in other Massachusetts communities.
Trionfi-Mazzuchelli, whose mother was born to Italian immigrants and whose father was an Italian immigrant, grew up in Revere after her family moved from Boston’s North End. At 18, she joined the Army to avoid an arranged marriage, she said with a chuckle.
Trionfi-Mazzuchelli served from 1979 to 2000, rising to staff sergeant as a military police officer and criminal investigator. Her service took her across the U.S. and to Germany, Korea, Honduras and Panama.
‘I loved the work’
Trionfi-Mazzuchelli navigated the challenges of being a woman in a predominantly male field.
“I was often the only woman in my unit, especially in investigations, where out of thousands of agents, only around 200 were women,” she said, seated behind a desk in her Mary Alley Municipal Building office. “I earned respect through fairness and by building rapport, even with those we apprehended. It was a tough environment, but I loved the work.”
She handled serious cases like rape, murder and terrorism while also supporting agencies like the Secret Service and FBI.
After leaving the military in 2000, Trionfi-Mazzuchelli worked as a private investigator and security director. She also considered law school, but with four children, the financial burden seemed too great.
It was her experience as a veteran that eventually led her to find her true calling as a veterans service officer. She served in this role for nine years in Winthrop, where her office was “half a jail cell,” as she humorously described it.
“I had a pole in the back of my office, which I camouflaged, and my kids all joke at me. They’re like, ‘Oh, full circle, Ma, now you’re on the other side of the law. You’re in a cell,'” she said with a laugh.
Following her tenure in Winthrop, Trionfi-Mazzuchelli spent two years overseeing services for Melrose, Wakefield and Saugus before coming to Marblehead.
Massachusetts law mandates each city and town to have a veterans service officer, a unique requirement that separates Massachusetts from other states. These officers connect veterans with benefits, healthcare, housing and mental health support. In Marblehead, she aims to expand outreach by collaborating with town departments and engaging community groups to ensure all veterans access services.
“I want to ensure that they’re aware of what they’re entitled to, what their benefits are here,” Trionfi-Mazzuchelli said. She aims to start a coffee group for veterans, potentially in partnership with the senior center, to provide a space for vets to connect and share experiences.
“The older veterans don’t talk about their experiences. Young ones have no problem talking,” she noted.
Trionfi-Mazzuchelli also hopes to establish a food bank for veterans in Marblehead, drawing on her experience creating similar initiatives in previous roles. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she witnessed increased food insecurity among veterans and their families.
‘So why would I stop?’
The role of veterans service agent has evolved significantly over Trionfi-Mazzuchelli’s career, particularly in the area of mental health support, she said. She recalled the stigma around seeking mental health care during her time in service and is proud of recent changes that have made these services more accessible.
“When I was in the military, you couldn’t go see a mental health person, really, because they’d take away your gun and your badge and be sitting at a desk,” she explained. “We did a deep dive as veteran service officers into the regulations that govern our programs. Now we cover mental health, which is amazing.”
Trionfi-Mazzuchelli leads Marblehead during a time of expanding veteran benefits at state and federal levels. The 2022 PACT Act expands healthcare for veterans exposed to toxins, while Massachusetts’ HERO Act increases property tax exemptions for disabled veterans and broadens the definition of “veteran.”
She encourages all veterans to meet with a service officer, even if they’re unsure about their eligibility. “Go see a service officer,” she advised. “If you’re not comfortable with the one that’s in your town, go to another town.”
For Trionfi-Mazzuchelli, the most rewarding aspect of her job is the direct impact she can have on veterans’ lives.
“I get to directly interact with somebody one-on-one, getting them help, or just being a friend, or getting them a resource,” she said. “They know they could pick up the phone and find me.”
Her dedication to veterans extends beyond office hours. She recounted instances of accompanying veterans to medical appointments and assisting with various personal matters.
“A lot of times I think of myself as a counselor, because some guys would just come to my office, just sit, talk and cry,” she shared.
As she settles into her new role, Trionfi-Mazzuchelli is eager to become a familiar face in the Marblehead community and to continue serving those who have served their country. At 63, she shows no signs of slowing down.
“I love what I do,” she said. “So why would I stop?”
