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The heartwarming meeting came about after Scarsdale resident Sebastian Lamonarca, a student at Fox Meadow School, learned that his hero, Judge Frank Caprio from the reality television show "Caught In Providence," had revealed a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.
Caprio, an 87-year-old Rhode Island traffic judge known for his caring personality in the courtroom and on his show, revealed his diagnosis in early December in a video to his fans in which he asked for prayers. Upon seeing this video, Sebastian became worried that "the nicest judge in the world," as he calls him, had fallen ill.
To help him feel better, Sebastian decided that he wanted to meet with Caprio, hug him, and offer him comfort, Sebastian's father, Italian tenor Luciano Lamonarca, said on Wednesday, Jan. 3.
To make this happen, Sebastian's father immediately took to the task of setting up the meeting with Caprio's family. Thanks to this effort, Sebastian could spend time with Judge Caprio and ask him questions about what inspired him to become a kind person and about his heritage.
Additionally, Sebastian's most important question involved a complex moral dilemma: "How many chances do we give those who’ve made a mistake, including us?”
In response to this, Caprio said that it is important to consider each case individually as a judge and not apply the same rules to them all, according to Lamonarca.
"To better explain to Sebastian how to determine how many chances to give in life, he gave him a couple of examples, which helped Sebastian understand how to use his common sense and judgment when it comes to giving a second chance to those seeking one in life," Lamonarca said.
At the end of the special meeting, Judge Caprio gave Sebastian an autographed gavel and also told him he is on the right track to also becoming a caring person.
"He's a very kind boy," Caprio said.
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