Rocco Commisso, Cable Titan and Soccer Visionary, Dies

MEDIACOM PARK, N.Y. – January 17, 2026 – Rocco B. Commisso, the trailblazing founder of Mediacom Communications and a formidable force in the worlds of international business and professional soccer, has passed away. With profound sadness, his company announced his death, marking the end of an era for a man whose life was a vibrant embodiment of the American Dream. From his arrival in the United States as a 12-year-old immigrant from Italy to his place on the Forbes 400 list, Commisso built a multifaceted empire grounded in tenacity, a keen eye for underserved markets, and a deep-seated passion for community.

From Calabria to Columbia and Corporate Success

Born in Calabria, Italy, Rocco B. Commisso’s story is one of relentless ambition. He immigrated to the Bronx at age 12, quickly adapting to his new home. His academic and athletic prowess earned him a full scholarship to Columbia University, an institution that would remain a cornerstone of his life. He excelled on the soccer field, co-captaining the 1970 team to the university's first-ever NCAA tournament appearance and earning three All-Ivy League honors.

After earning a BS in industrial engineering and an MBA from Columbia’s Graduate Business School, where he served as student body president, Commisso began his professional journey. He started at a Pfizer manufacturing facility before transitioning to the financial sector. At Chase Manhattan Bank and later Royal Bank of Canada, he honed his expertise in media and communications financing, laying the groundwork for his future in the cable industry.

His first major executive role came in 1986 at Cablevision Industries Corporation. As executive vice president and CFO, he was instrumental in transforming the company from the nation's 25th largest cable provider to the 8th largest over a nine-year period, culminating in its merger with Time Warner. This experience provided the blueprint for his greatest entrepreneurial venture.

Building the Mediacom Empire

In 1995, Commisso founded Mediacom Communications with a clear and underserved mission: to acquire and revitalize cable systems in America's smaller towns and communities, areas often overlooked by larger providers. He saw potential where others saw limitations, believing that residents in these markets deserved the same access to technology as their urban counterparts.

Under his direction, Mediacom held a successful initial public offering in 2000, fueling a period of dramatic growth. The company expanded its footprint across 22 states, becoming the nation’s 5th largest cable operator. In a strategic move that underscored his belief in long-term vision over short-term market pressures, Commisso took the company private in 2011, making it wholly owned by the Commisso family. This allowed Mediacom to focus on significant infrastructure investments, becoming a leading provider of gigabit broadband in its markets.

The company's stability and success were consistently recognized, earning it the U.S. Best Managed Company designation from Deloitte Private and the Wall Street Journal for five consecutive years through 2025. While his passing leaves a significant void, the company's private, family-owned structure and established executive team suggest a foundation built for continuity. The future direction will likely remain guided by the long-term principles Commisso himself instilled.

A Passion for the Beautiful Game

Beyond the boardroom, Commisso's lifelong passion was soccer. His love for the game, sparked in his youth and honed at Columbia, evolved into a powerful force in the professional sports world. In 2017, he acquired a majority stake in the New York Cosmos, the iconic American club, breathing new life into the brand. Though the family sold its majority stake in July 2025, it retains a minority interest, maintaining a link to the club's legacy.

His most ambitious sporting venture came in June 2019 with the acquisition of ACF Fiorentina, the historic Serie A soccer club based in Florence, Italy. As president, he invested not only financially but emotionally, connecting deeply with the team and its fans. Tributes from the soccer world highlighted this personal touch. FIFA President Gianni Infantino recalled, "When I met him he spoke to me about his players like his children, about his club like a part of himself."

His most enduring contribution to the club is Rocco B. Commisso Viola Park, a state-of-the-art training facility opened in 2023. Funded personally, the complex serves as a unified home for all of Fiorentina’s teams, from the men's and women's first teams to the youth squads, cementing his legacy in the heart of Italian football.

A Legacy of Giving

Throughout his life, Commisso was a dedicated philanthropist, focusing his efforts on creating educational opportunities. Believing in the power of education to change lives, just as it had changed his, he established numerous initiatives that funded scholarships for over 4,000 students nationwide.

These programs included Mediacom’s World Class Scholars Program and the September 11th Memorial Scholarship Fund. His generosity extended to the institutions that shaped him. In 2014, he established the Rocco B. Commisso American Dream Fund at his Bronx high school, Mount Saint Michael Academy, to ensure future generations of deserving young men could receive a quality education.

At his alma mater, Columbia University, his support was transformative. Beyond his contributions that led to the naming of the Rocco B. Commisso Soccer Stadium, he and his wife established a major scholarship fund in 2022 at the university's engineering school, designed to support a cohort of up to 20 students in perpetuity. His philanthropy was not an afterthought but a core component of his life's work, aimed at empowering others to pursue their own American Dream.

Tributes from across the business and sports worlds have poured in, celebrating a leader known for his vision and tenacity. Grant Spellmeyer, President and CEO of ACA Connects, praised him as a "pioneering entrepreneur whose nearly five-decade career helped shape the modern cable and broadband industry." Commisso's incredible life story, chronicled in a 2023 60 Minutes segment aptly titled “Only in America,” was recognized with numerous honors, including induction into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame and the Cable Center Hall of Fame. His passing leaves a void in the industries he revolutionized, but his legacy as a builder, a sports enthusiast, and a philanthropist is firmly etched in the communities he served and the countless lives he touched.