Rhode Island Gives Judge Frank Caprio a Grand Sendoff with State Funeral Honors
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Judge Frank Caprio, remembered worldwide as the “nicest judge in the world,” was laid to rest Friday after a farewell that reflected both his humble beginnings and his extraordinary impact.
The 88-year-old retired chief judge of Providence Municipal Court, who rose from a cold-water flat in Federal Hill to international acclaim through his compassionate rulings on Caught in Providence, received what many described as Rhode Island’s equivalent of a state funeral.
A funeral Mass was held at the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, presided over by Archbishop of Boston Richard Henning. The service was live-streamed on RIPBS.org to allow Caprio’s millions of admirers worldwide to pay their respects. Following the Mass, a solemn procession moved down Atwells Avenue, the same neighborhood street where Caprio was born and raised. He was later buried privately at St. Ann Cemetery in Cranston.
The previous day, hundreds of mourners lined up at the Rhode Island Convention Center to pay tribute as Caprio lay in state. A police honor guard stood by his side as family, friends, and admirers quietly filed past.
Among them was Jake Bedrossian, a childhood friend and former teammate from Central High School’s wrestling team. “Seventy years ago, we won the state championship,” Bedrossian recalled. “He could relate to people. His father was a milkman, you know?”
Community activist Joe Buchanan, known to many as “Joe Buck,” praised Caprio’s courage and compassion. “He was a man who had love, who cared about his community. He didn’t whimper and didn’t waver. He just did what he thought was right.”
For Rosa De Castillo, who often translated for Spanish-speaking immigrants in Caprio’s courtroom, his fairness stood out. “I told them not to worry. Just tell the truth, and he’ll treat you fairly,” she said.
While Caprio was celebrated for his humanity, he was never seen as lenient to a fault. Jim Vincent, former president of the Rhode Island NAACP, remembered him as a judge who balanced mercy with accountability. “If he gave you a break and then you wound up back in his court, he’d say, ‘I gotta do what I gotta do.’ People respected that.”
Caprio’s unique style on the bench — firm yet compassionate — became the hallmark of Caught in Providence, which earned him global recognition, Daytime Emmy nominations, and millions of online followers.
Family friend Kelsey Swanson summed up the sentiment of many: “He was exactly the same off the bench as he was on it. He could have brought peace to the Middle East. I’ll really miss him.”
As Rhode Island lowered its flags to half-staff, the state — and the world — bid farewell to a man whose life embodied fairness, humility, and kindness. His legacy, as both a jurist and a human being, will endure in the countless lives he touched.