Rocco Commisso, the veteran cable TV executive who founded cable giant Mediacom and owned Italy’s ACF Fiorentina, has died. He was 76.
Commisso’s death was announced by Mediacom and ACF Fiorentina late Friday night, with the team stating he died “after a prolonged period of medical treatment.”
A former banker and cable CFO, commisso founded mediacom in 1995 at age 45. He focused on providing cable service to smaller cities and towns often overlooked by larger companies.
This strategy proved successful. Mediacom grew to become the fifth largest cable company in the U.S., serving over three million households and businesses across 22 states, and made Commisso a billionaire. The company remains wholly owned by the Commisso family, with his leadership continuing until his death.
“This is truly the land of opportunity. It gave this poor soul the opportunity to become something, somebody,” Commisso told CBS 60 Minutes correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi in a 2023 profile. “And that’s the beauty of America.”
Born in Calabria, Italy, Commisso immigrated to the united States at age 12. He graduated from Mount Saint Michael Academy in the Bronx in 1967. A lifelong soccer enthusiast, he played for the Columbia Lions from 1967–1970, serving as co-captain of the 1970 team that reached the NCAA Playoffs for the first time in Columbia’s history. Columbia’s soccer stadium is now named in his honor: the Rocco B. Commisso Soccer Stadium.
Commisso began his professional career at Pfizer in Brooklyn before transitioning to finance after earning his MBA from Columbia in 1975. He held positions at Chase Manhattan Bank and Royal Bank of canada, specializing in communications sector lending.He later joined Cablevision, becoming its CFO and a director. Following the $2.2 billion sale of Cablevision to Time Warner, he established Mediacom.
“What I foresaw is the fact that eventually, sooner or later, we’re gonna get deregulated, and there’s a great opportunity to do well in the smaller markets of the U.S., the rural markets, largely because nobody wanted them,” he explained to 60 Minutes.
Commisso was recognized for his achievements with inductions into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame, the Cable Center Hall of Fame, and the Columbia University Athletics Hall of Fame. He also received the National Italian American Foundation’s Life Achievement Award, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, and the Vanguard Award for Distinguished Leadership, the cable industry’s highest honor.
he actively participated in the cable industry, serving on the boards of the National Cable & telecommunications Association and C-SPAN.
Despite his success in cable, Commisso remained passionate about soccer.
He acquired the New York Cosmos in 2017 and, two years later, purchased the historic Serie A team ACF Fiorentina for $170 million.
“Football was his passion, and Fiorentina became so seven years ago, when Rocco took charge of the viola club and began to love its supporters, its colors, and the city of Florence,” the team said. “’Call me Rocco,’ he had simply said to everyone, with his unusual empathy.”
Taking ownership of Fiorentina came with pressure, as the team hadn’t won a championship in decades. Commisso became president of the club along with his responsibilities at Mediacom.
“They can’t kick Rocco outta here, you know? They think they gonna criticize me and kick me out. No, that can’t happen,” Commisso told 60 Minutes. “Rocco’s a little different.”