Franklin R. Ciaccio of Shelter Island Remembered as Leading Lawyer

Born in New York City on Oct. 20, 1942, Frank was a lifelong New Yorker, save for his time at Bowdoin College. There, his creative talents flourished. He painted and earned honors for his playwriting, reflecting a lifelong appreciation for the arts. He also had an unique eye for design, curating a home filled with distinct works that reflected his passions.

He went on to graduate from Columbia Law School, where he was a founding member of the Columbia Journal of Transnational Law. His legal career spanned decades at ITT, New York Life, King & Spalding, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, and Dorsey & Whitney. He became a respected voice in corporate restructuring and bankruptcy law. His decade of service as counsel to the Trustee of the Bethlehem Steel Corporation Liquidating Trust and to the Trustee of the VP Buildings Distribution Trust in the LTV Steel Corporation bankruptcy reflected his expertise and his steady leadership in some of the most significant restructurings of his era.

Frank’s love story began when he met Susan Fiske Francis, and with her came a three-generation family devotion to Shelter Island that shaped the rest of his life. Though he learned to sail as a boy at Camp Paradox in the Adirondacks, he truly embraced the sport at the Shelter Island Yacht Club, where he raced, served on the race committee, and later served as Commodore and Trustee. He worked tirelessly with his dear friends to restore his beloved wooden Star boat, Imp, and later sailed his beautiful Etchells, Valkyrie. He found joy cruising with friends, whether in local waters or on the Adriatic and Aegean seas.

For 55 years, Frank called Brooklyn Heights home. He was engaged in his community as a past president of the New England Society and a member of Plymouth Church, the Heights Casino, the New York Yacht Club, and the Willowtown Association. He took pride in the pro bono legal work he provided to these organizations and to individuals in need. He loved bringing people together at neighborhood gatherings, dinners, and parties, and he treasured the time he spent with friends and family.

Frank never lost his boyhood love of baseball, from Little League to a lifelong devotion to the Yankees. The family will hold a memorial service at Union Chapel this summer, possibly followed by a celebratory baseball game in his honor.

Frank is survived by his wife of 60 years, Susan; his daughter Amanda Ciaccio and her children, Marina, Emma, and Theodore M. Crowe; and his daughter Caroline Emery, her husband Chip, and their children, Weber and Harrison Emery.