OGUN, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- Rocco Commisso, the Italian-American billionaire who founded the telecommunications giant Mediacom and served as the president of Serie A side ACF Fiorentina, has passed away at the age of 76.
In a joint statement released in the early hours of Saturday, both Mediacom and ACF Fiorentina confirmed his passing, noting that Commisso died following a “prolonged period of medical treatment.”
A self-made titan of the cable industry, Commisso was widely respected for his business acumen and his passionate, often outspoken leadership of the Florence-based football club.
Early Life and Education
According to Hollywood Reporter, born in Calabria, Italy, Commisso moved to the United States at the age of 12. He graduated from Mount Saint Michael Academy in the Bronx in 1967 before attending Columbia University.
A lifelong football fan, Commisso played for the Columbia Lions between 1967 and 1970 and served as co-captain of the 1970 team, which made the university’s first-ever appearance at the NCAA Playoffs. In recognition of his contributions, Columbia University later named its soccer facility the Rocco B. Commisso Soccer Stadium.
Career in Business
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Commisso began his professional career at Pfizer in Brooklyn before switching to finance after earning an MBA from Columbia University in 1975. He worked at Chase Manhattan Bank and the Royal Bank of Canada, where he specialized in lending to companies in the communications sector.
He later joined Cablevision, rising to become its Chief Financial Officer and a board director. Following Cablevision’s $2.2 billion sale to Time Warner, Commisso founded Mediacom in 1995 at the age of 45.
Under his leadership, Mediacom focused on smaller cities and rural communities underserved by major cable providers—a strategy that proved highly successful. Today, Mediacom is the fifth-largest cable company in the United States, serving more than three million households and businesses across 22 states. The company is wholly owned by the Commisso family, with Commisso serving as chairman and CEO until his death.
Honours and Recognition
Commisso was widely recognised for his contributions to business and society. He was inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame, the Cable Center Hall of Fame and the Columbia University Athletics Hall of Fame.
He also received several prestigious awards, including the National Italian American Foundation’s Life Achievement Award, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor and the Vanguard Award for Distinguished Leadership, the highest honour in the cable industry.
In addition, he served on the boards of the National Cable & Telecommunications Association and C-SPAN.
Passion for Football
Despite his success in business, Commisso never abandoned his love for football. In 2017, he acquired the New York Cosmos, reviving the historic American soccer club.
Two years later, in 2019, he purchased ACF Fiorentina for $170 million, beginning a new chapter for the historic Italian club and cementing his legacy in the world of football.
Family
Commisso is survived by his wife, Catherine, his children, Giuseppe and Marisa, and his sisters, Italia and Raffaelina. The Italian club noted that he and his wife were married for 50 years, describing him as a devoted family man and a guiding figure to those around him.