Prominent and popular boxing referee Frank Cappuccino passed away this morning, June 8th, at age 86. Cappuccino was born Frank Capcino on February 7, 1929, and grew up in the Kensington section of Philadelphia. Along with older brother Vic Capcino, who also recently passed away (May 13, 2015), the younger Capcino was an amateur boxer during the 1940s. Frank turned professional in 1949 and fought just three times as a pro, winning all three by 4-round decision at South Philly’s Toppi Stadium.
In 1958, Frank became a referee and for the next fifty years, worked as both a referee and a boxing judge. Along the way Capcino changed his name to the more colorful “Cappuccino”, which ring announcer and long-time friend Ed Derian helped to make famous with his exaggerated pronunciation in his announcements of Frank.
However, it was Cappuccino’s long and active career that made him a respected member of the boxing fraternity. Cappuccino refereed thousands of bouts including nearly 100 world title fights. Some of his most memorable assignments were Tyson-Spinks, Gatti-Ward I, Tyson-Mathis Jr., Whitaker-Rodriguez, Bowe-Biggs, Tyson-Stewart, Spinks-Cooney, Spinks-Davis, Chandler-Carter, Saad Muhammad-Lopez I, Saad Muhammad-Grant, Rossman-Bennett, Briscoe-Marshall II, Hopkins-Hakkar, Hopkins-Daniels, Lewis-Briggs, Lewis-Mavoric, , and many, many more.
Cappuccino was elected to both the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame and the Pennsylvania Boxing Hall of Fame for his long and legendary career as a referee.
Funeral services were still pending at the time of this writing.
