Choose Frank Caprio, the longtime face of the Windfall Municipal Court docket and star of the extensively considered TV sequence Caught in Windfall, has died on the age of 88. His loss of life, confirmed by his son on Wednesday, follows a prolonged and public battle with pancreatic most cancers.
Caprio, recognized nationally for his compassion and sense of humour on the bench, rose to prominence by his tv courtroom, the place he turned affectionately often known as ‘the nicest choose on the earth’. Clips of his rulings—typically involving parking tickets and touching private tales—repeatedly went viral and earned him thousands and thousands of followers on social media.
A press release posted on Caprio’s official Facebook page described him as ‘beloved for his compassion, humility, and unwavering perception within the goodness of individuals’. It continued: ‘He will likely be remembered not solely as a revered choose, however as a faithful husband, father, grandfather, nice grandfather and buddy. His legacy lives on within the numerous acts of kindness he impressed.’
From Shoeshiner to Public Servant
Frank Caprio was born and raised on Federal Hill in Windfall, the second of three sons in a working-class Italian-American household. As a boy, he shined sneakers, delivered newspapers, and labored on a milk truck—early indicators of the work ethic that might outline his life. In response to his official biography, his dad and mom instilled in him the worth of ‘working onerous to raised the lives of these round him’.
He graduated from Central Excessive Faculty and earned a bachelor’s diploma from Windfall School earlier than educating American Authorities at Hope Excessive Faculty. On the identical time, he attended evening courses at Suffolk College Legislation Faculty in Boston, laying the inspiration for his authorized profession.
Caprio was first elected as a choose in 1985. His courtroom sequence, Caught in Windfall, started as a neighborhood broadcast earlier than increasing into nationwide syndication. It acquired a Daytime Emmy nomination in 2021, because of Caprio’s distinctive model of mixing obligation with human empathy. His recognition prolonged effectively past tv, with clips from his courtroom amassing thousands and thousands of views throughout platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.
Champion of Entry and Training
Outdoors of the courtroom, Caprio made important contributions to training in Rhode Island. He served for a decade as chairman of the Rhode Island Board of Governors for Larger Training, which oversees the College of Rhode Island, Rhode Island School, and the Group School of Rhode Island.
Caprio additionally established a number of scholarships in honour of his father, Antonio ‘Tup’ Caprio, geared toward supporting college students dedicated to increasing entry to authorized companies in underserved communities. The Antonio Caprio Scholarship Fund at Suffolk College Faculty of Legislation continues to assist Rhode Island college students, whereas related scholarships have been created at Windfall School and Central Excessive Faculty.
In January 2023, Caprio introduced his retirement after practically 40 years on the bench. Later that yr, in October, the Metropolis of Windfall honoured his service by renaming the municipal courtroom after him.
A Sleek Exit
Caprio disclosed his pancreatic most cancers prognosis in December 2023, shortly after celebrating his 87th birthday. He underwent radiation therapy by the spring of 2024. Simply sooner or later earlier than his loss of life, Caprio posted a video message from a hospital mattress, asking his supporters for prayers and revealing he had suffered a setback.
‘Sadly I’ve had a setback, I am again within the hospital now and I am coming to you once more asking you to recollect me in your prayers as soon as extra,’ he stated within the video.
Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee referred to as Caprio a ‘treasure’ and ordered flags in any respect state buildings to fly at half-staff till the day of his internment. ‘He was a logo of empathy on the bench, displaying us what is feasible when justice is tempered with humanity,’ McKee stated in a press release.
Caprio is survived by his spouse, Joyce, 5 kids, seven grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Funeral preparations haven’t but been introduced.
Within the phrases of the tribute shared on his social media pages: ‘In his honour, might we every try to deliver slightly extra compassion into the world—simply as he did on daily basis.’
