Subscribe!
Updated: RI Veterans: Did you know? The Passing of a Veteran. Judge Frank Caprio – John A. Cianci
Photo Judge Frank Caprio and John A. Cianci, at Roma
by John A. Cianci, contributing writer, veterans
From the funeral and veterans who stood in honor:
Did you know the late Judge Frank Caprio served in the Rhode Island National Guard ?
Judge Caprio served in the U.S. Army Reserve and the Rhode Island National Guard from 1954 to 1962 in the 876th Combat Engineer Battalion. Caprio was assigned to Camp Varnum in Narragansett, Rhode Island, and Fort Indiantown Gap in East Hanover Township, Pennsylvania.
Judge Caprio was a combat engineer.
Caprio credited his military training with helping to orient his moral compass and lay the groundwork for his compassionate judicial career.
“Judge Caprio was a frequent attendee at the birthday parties held for veterans at ROMA,” said John A Cianci, Department Commander of the Italian American War Veterans of the United States. ” Even when he was battling his illness, he found the time to stop by.”
WWII veteran Caster Salemi, 103 years old, a member of the Italian American War Veterans of the United States, was the oldest person ever to appear before Caprio. Like so many other veterans who appeared before Caprio, the Judge dismissed his case.
Salemi would connect with Caprio several times, attending birthday parties held at ROMA by ITAM. Salemi was one of the first ones in line to have Caprio sign his book, Compassion in the Court.
“I always remember the hug he gave me after congratulating me for being the Grand Marshall of the Columbus Day Parade in Federal Hill, 2024,” said Cianci. Caprio was the Grand Marshal himself in 2021.
One quote from the late President Ronald Reagan is often connected to the spirit of making a difference through selflessness, as describes Caprio: “There is no limit to what a man can do or where he can go if he doesn’t mind who gets the credit.”
May Frank Caprio, U.S Army veteran, rest in peace. You made a difference in the lives of so many; your legacy will live on for many generations. He spent an entire lifetime making a difference.
Captions – left to right
1 – Judge Caprio with 103 WWII Veteran Caster Salemi
2 – Judge Caprio with 103 year old WWII Caster Salemi and 79 year old Vietnam Veteran Mary Goff
3 – Facebook posting by Navy Veteran, Italian American war veteran of the US, Tami Iavarone
4 – Facebook post on Frank Caprio’s Facebook page
_
Frank Caprio, a compassionate judge and television judge had a particular fondness for the military veterans who appeared in his Rhode Island courtroom. He died last week of pancreatic cancer. He was 88.
“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,” said a statement announcing his death last Wednesday on his Instagram account, @therealfrankcaprio. “His warmth, humor, and kindness left an indelible mark on all who knew him.”
Videos of Caprio’s empathetic traffic court rulings — such as dismissing a $100 ticket for a Vietnam veteran who struggled to find parking near a Veterans Affairs hospital — spread across the internet in recent years like wildfire, garnering billions of views worldwide.
That popularity led to a nationally syndicated television show called “Caught in Providence” broadcast in 186 cities across the United States. “The smallest thing can change someone’s life,” Caprio told Stars and Stripes in 2018. “[My father’s] mantra was help people when you can. We were taught in life that it’s not enough to climb the ladder of success.” You have to leave down the ladder “so others can follow in your footsteps.”
Caprio — a first-generation American whose father immigrated from Italy at age 12 — was a veteran himself. He joined the Army Reserve in 1954 at the recommendation of his brother, who was also a soldier. Caprio, who served as a combat engineer, said the lessons he learned in basic training laid the groundwork for the judge he was to become.
“I was only 17 when I joined,” he said. “I was in basic, and next thing I know I have someone yelling at me. It helped me orient my compass. There are rules, you follow them, and you respect authority.”
Caprio said his compassion for others was learned from his parents, and it especially applied to those who served their country. “I have a particular affinity for all veterans,” he said. “But especially those who served in Vietnam. I remember how the vets were adored in World War II, and how they were scorned when they came home from ‘Nam. It’s a sad chapter in our history.”
Read more about Judge Frank Caprio here, in Stars and Stripes: