Frank Caprio, the colorful judge who starred for two seasons on the syndicated courtroom show "Caught in Providence" and became a social media star in clips displaying his compassion, kindness and empathy, died Wednesday. He was 88.
The jurist's death after “a long and courageous battle with pancreatic cancer” was announced on 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 read. “His warmth, humor and kindness left an indelible mark on all who knew him.”
Viewers first watched Caprio handle traffic and municipal ordinance cases in his courtroom in Providence via local access television. After video clips of him went viral, Lionsgate’s Debmar-Mercury division distributed "Caught in Providence" throughout the U.S. for two seasons starting in 2018.
Executive produced by Providence resident Paula Abdul, the show was nominated for Daytime Emmys in 2021, ’22 and ’23, and Caprio was nominated on his own last year.
He received the Producer’s Circle Award at the 2018 Rhode Island International Film Festival.
“Judge Caprio’s unique brand of compassion and common sense approach to justice caught the attention of daytime TV and social media audiences, making Caught in Providence a fan favorite,” Mort Marcus and Ira Bernstein, co-presidents of Debmar-Mercury, noted in a statement. “We will miss him dearly.”
Along the way, Caprio earned the nickname the “Nicest Judge in the World.”
The second of three sons of a fruit peddler, Francesco Caprio was born in Providence on November 24, 1936.
He graduated from Central High School and in 1958 from Providence College, and while teaching American Government at Hope High School, he attended night school to earn his law degree from Suffolk University School of Law in Boston.
In 1985, Caprio was appointed to the Providence Municipal Court and served as chief judge until his retirement in January 2023.
He announced that he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and had begun treatment later that year.
Caprio amassed 3.3 million followers on Instagram and 1.6 million on TikTok. From a hospital bed on Tuesday, he posted on Instagram and asked his fans to “remember me in your prayers once more.”
On X, Gov. Dan McKee called Caprio a “Rhode Island treasure” and ordered that flags in the state be flown at half-mast in his honor.
Said son Frank Caprio Jr., a former Rhode Island general treasurer: “My Dad was always giving and looking to help others. His compassion spread far and wide due to a worldwide following that flocked to him. Hopefully, through our good deeds, his legacy will live on.”
Caprio also served on the City Council for six years during the 1960s and later ran for state Attorney General. After he retired, his former courtroom was renamed The Chief Judge Frank Caprio Courtroom.
Caprio appeared as a judge in a 2007 episode Showtime’s Providence-set crime-and-politics thriller Brotherhood. His memoir, Frank Caprio Compassion in the Court, was published in February.
Along with his wife, Caprio is survived by five children, seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
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