Bergen County’s Richest Resident Dead at 76

Rocco Commisso’s Death Marks the End of a Titan’s Era in North Jersey

BERGEN COUNTY, N.J. — Rocco Commisso, the billionaire cable magnate and global soccer powerbroker long recognized as Bergen County’s wealthiest resident, died late last night at the age of 76, according to statements released by organizations connected to him.

Commisso’s passing closes the chapter on one of the most consequential immigrant success stories tied to New Jersey’s modern economic landscape — a story that stretched from a modest childhood to the commanding heights of American media and European football.

From Calabria to Bergen County

Born in southern Italy, Commisso emigrated to the United States as a child and climbed his way through the telecommunications world with relentless focus. That ascent culminated in the creation of Mediacom Communications, which grew into one of the nation’s largest cable providers and made Commisso a fixture on lists of America’s richest individuals.

Though his business empire spanned the country — and later the globe — Bergen County became his American base, quietly anchoring a fortune estimated in the billions.

To neighbors, he lived privately. To Wall Street and international sports circles, he was anything but invisible.

A Billionaire Who Bought a Soccer City

In 2019, Commisso made headlines worldwide by purchasing ACF Fiorentina, rescuing the historic Italian club from financial collapse. The move transformed him from cable executive to football patriarch overnight.

Under his ownership, Fiorentina stabilized financially, reinvested in infrastructure, and reasserted itself as a serious presence in Serie A. In Florence, Commisso was more than an owner — he became a symbol of salvation and ambition.

Earlier in his sports career, he also held ownership stakes in American soccer, reinforcing his belief that the sport’s future crossed borders.

Power Without Flash

Unlike many modern billionaires, Commisso avoided spectacle. No social-media theatrics. No tech-cult branding. No performative philanthropy tours.

His power was structural:

• Control of physical networks
• Ownership of legacy institutions
• Long-term bets, not viral moments

That restraint made him easy to overlook — and impossible to ignore.

What His Death Means for Bergen County

With Commisso’s passing, Bergen County loses its wealthiest resident and one of its most globally connected figures. While much of his work unfolded outside New Jersey, the county remained his American stronghold — a reminder that global empires are often run quietly from suburban zip codes.

Succession details for his business and sports holdings have not yet been fully outlined publicly.

A Giant Exits the Board

Rocco Commisso represented an older class of American power: immigrant-built, asset-heavy, patient, and decisive. His death marks the end of an era — not just for Fiorentina or Mediacom, but for Bergen County’s place in the map of global capital.

The lights stay on. The games go on.
But one of the men who controlled the switches is gone.

— The Garden State Gazette