Judge Frank Caprio, renowned for his compassion in Rhode Island courts, has died at the age of 88, his son, David Caprio, said in a social media post Wednesday.
Caprio, a former judge for the Providence Municipal Court, died following a bout with pancreatic cancer, according to a statement posted to social media.
“Beloved for his compassion, humility, and unwavering belief in the goodness of people, Judge Caprio touched the lives of millions through his work in the courtroom and beyond,” the statement reads. “His warmth, humor, and kindness left an indelible mark on all who knew him.”
“It was the love and support he received from all of you that lifted his spirits and boosted his soul to find the strength to fight on and outlive his diagnosis by a year and a half,” David Caprio said in the video.
Caprio went viral on social media for hearing cases on traffic and parking violations and arraignments for criminal offenses. It was Caprio’s empathy and humor in how he handled the cases that would touch audiences on social media.
Caprio grew up on Federal Hill in Providence, Rhode Island, and was the second of three sons. Before becoming a judge, Caprio shined shoes, delivered newspapers and worked on a milk truck.
He graduated from Providence College in 1958 and began teaching American government at a local high school in Providence. While teaching, he also attended night school at the Suffolk University School of Law in Boston.
Caprio served as a Providence Municipal Court judge from 1985 to 2023.
“Caught in Providence,” an Emmy-nominated TV show which ran from 2018 to 2020, highlighted Caprio’s day-to-day life reviewing traffic cases and misdemeanors in Rhode Island. It skyrocketed him to fame on social media.
In December 2023, Caprio announced he had pancreatic cancer, and he decided to go public with his diagnosis to motivate others, hoping his survival would be an inspiration.
The former judge told “CBS Mornings” in 2024 that his deep empathy for others stems from hardships he faced growing up in poverty in Providence without hot running water, just blocks from the courthouse now named after him.
“I’m just a small-town municipal court judge, just trying to do good. That’s how I am, who tries to take into consideration the circumstances surrounding the people before me. And remember what my dad told me, when someone appears before you, put yourself in their shoes, imagine it’s you before them. How do you want to be treated?” Caprio said.
“It’s not a pleasant experience to go to bed at night, say your prayers. And suddenly you have one extra thing you have to ask for. And that is, please help the treatment be successful for the pancreatic cancer. And I think we’re on the way,” Caprio told CBS News in an interview.
Caprio is survived by his wife of almost six decades, Joyce Caprio, and his five children, seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
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