Columbia Engineering Mourns Passing of Rocco Commisso ‘71SEAS, ‘75BUS

Rocco Commisso ‘71SEAS, ‘75BUS, a titan of the cable television industry, owner of Italian soccer club ACF Fiorentina, and a Columbia alum and generous donor, has passed away. 

Commisso is best known as the founder and CEO of Mediacom Communications, the fifth largest cable provider in the nation. Prior to founding MediaCom, he worked at Cablevision Industries from 1986 to 1995, where he served as executive vice president, CFO, and director, helping the company become the eighth-largest cable television company before its sale to Time Warner. Commisso began Mediacom in 1995 to expand communications services to small, underserved cities in 22 states. 

Commisso moved to the United States from Calabria, Italy at the age of 12. He grew up in the Bronx and attended Columbia Engineering on a full scholarship, where he studied industrial engineering; he would later attend Columbia Business School, where he was elected president of the student body and received the Business School Service Award. After Columbia, Commisso would continue to support education and athletics at Columbia. In 2022, he and his wife Catherine established the Rocco and Catherine Commisso Scholarship to support up to 20 undergraduate students a year. In 2020, he delivered the annual Frank N. Magill lecture to Columbia Engineering students, and in 2021, he addressed the graduating class as their Class Day speaker. He supported many philanthropic efforts outside of Columbia, including Mediacom’s World Class Scholars Program, September 11th Memorial Scholarship Fund, Entrepreneur of Tomorrow Award, as well as the Rocco B. Commisso American Dream Fund at his high school, Mount Saint Michael Academy, and educational scholarships to 4,000 students nationwide. 

“The passing of Rocco Commisso is a huge loss for our community,” said Shih-Fu Chang, dean of Columbia Engineering. “Rocco’s dedication to our students and to education was inspiring. Our Commisso Scholars were touched by his warmth and his vibrant presence. He lived life to the fullest and will never be forgotten.” 

During his illustrious career, he received many awards, including the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of Year Award, 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. In 2022, he was awarded the Samuel Johnson Medal from the Columbia Engineering Alumni Association. He was also honored with election to the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame, the Cable Center Hall of Fame, and the Columbia University Athletics Hall of Fame. In 2004, the Columbia Spectator listed him as one of its 250 greatest alumni.  

A lifelong soccer enthusiast, Commisso played soccer for Columbia and was co-captain on the 1970 varsity men’s squad, which was the first Columbia soccer team to play in the NCAA men’s soccer tournament. He was a three-time All-Ivy League Honoree and qualified to try out for the U.S. soccer team for the 1972 Olympics. Commisso has been a loyal supporter of the Columbia Lions soccer program, and in 2013, Columbia’s Rocco B. Commisso Soccer Stadium was officially named in his honor. Columbia also awards a Men’s Soccer Prize in his name. Until July 2025, he was the owner and chairman of the New York Cosmos, and in 2019, he purchased the ACF Fiorentina soccer club based in Florence. 

Commisso addressed students from Florence for Columbia Engineering Class Day 2021, which was a remote, virtual ceremony due to the Covid pandemic. Noting that it was the 50th anniversary of his own graduation, he encouraged students to follow their passions and to behave ethically. 

“Treat people with respect, as you want those people to treat you,” he said, sharing that in over 25 years, Mediacom had never had a layoff. 

“Have fun, do everything with your heart. Don’t put money at the top of the scale, put your passion and what you like to do,” he said. “If you work with passion and you like what you’re doing, it’s not work anymore.”

He is survived by his wife Catherine, and children, Marisa and Giuseppe Commisso ‘06SEAS.