2026 -- H 7019

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LC003170

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026

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H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

EXTENDING DEEPEST SYMPATHY ON THE PASSING OF THE VENERATED LEGAL

LUMINARY, JUDGE FRANK CAPRIO

     Introduced By: Representatives Shekarchi, Blazejewski, McEntee, Chippendale, Craven,
Dawson, Shanley, Knight, Diaz, and Kennedy

     Date Introduced: January 08, 2026

     Referred To: House read and passed

     WHEREAS, This House was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Judge Frank

Caprio, the beloved husband of Joyce Caprio for sixty-two years, the proud father of Frank T.,

David, Marissa, John, and Paul, and the adored grandfather of Ashley, Alicia, Sophia, Frank II,

John, Cristina, and Francesca, and great-grandchildren, Richard and Joseph; and

     WHEREAS, Frank Caprio was raised on Federal Hill in the City of Providence, the son

of Italian immigrants, Antonio and Filomena Caprio, and the brother of Joseph Caprio and his

wife, Irene, and the late Antonio Caprio, Jr. He was a graduate of Central High School, worked

three jobs to earn his Bachelor’s degree from Providence College, and while teaching and

coaching wrestling at Hope High School, attained his Juris Doctor by attending night classes at

Suffolk University School of Law; and

     WHEREAS, In his initial foray into politics at the age of twenty-five, Judge Caprio won

a seat on the Providence City Council, which began a lifelong passion that included local

involvement mentoring and helping candidates, and ultimately extended to state-wide and

national level support and guidance; and

     WHEREAS, Working with his sons and cousin, Judge Caprio established and grew a

successful law practice that has spanned six decades, located in the Caprio Building on Atwells

Avenue in Federal Hill; and

     WHEREAS, In 1978, Judge Caprio joined close friends Joe Formicola Jr., and the

Honorable Jim Kelso as a business partner in the renowned Coast Guard House restaurant in

Narragansett, and in 1985, was named to the Providence Municipal Court by Mayor Joseph

Paolino, Jr; and

     WHEREAS, Gifted with exceptional abilities, Judge Caprio was a man of acute

perspicacity, who dispensed justice with wit, humor and reasoned opinions, and did his utmost to

uphold the rule of law and the cause of justice while sagaciously maintaining judicial

temperament with compassion and empathy, which not only earned him the respect and

admiration of his peers, but the trust and devotion of all who stood before his bench; and

     WHEREAS, From 1992 through 2016, Judge Caprio gained national acclaim when his

courtroom became a television must-see program airing on cable TV and ABC6. Originally the

brainchild of the Judge’s wife, Joyce, “Caught in Providence” received four Emmy nominations,

was eventually nationally syndicated on more than 200 stations, amassed over 26 million social

media followers and over 10 billion video views, and earned Judge Caprio the reputation as “the

nicest judge in the world”; and

     WHEREAS, Throughout his lifetime, Judge Caprio was immersed in myriad altruistic

endeavors including funding scholarships at Central High School, Providence College and

Suffolk Law School. He served as Chair of the Rhode Island Board of Governors, gave the

commencement address at Providence College to a standing ovation, and was awarded honorary

doctorates from Suffolk University and Providence College; and

     WHEREAS, In addition, Judge Caprio published a best-selling memoir, was highly

sought after for speaking engagements, was awarded the Mother Teresa Award for Social Justice

in India, and was the former President and long-time board member of the Aurora Civic

Association to name but a few of his many accomplishments and honors; and

     WHEREAS, Judge Frank Caprio possessed a fair and magnanimous spirit and was a

legend in his own lifetime. He had the love and devotion of his family and friends and the

admiration of his peers, and he will be profoundly missed by those who had the good fortune to

be a part of his vital and fulfilling life; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby

extends deepest sympathy and heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family and friends of Judge

Frank Caprio; and

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Mrs. Joyce Caprio and Family.

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