Frank Caprio, the chief judge of the municipal court of Providence, Rhode Island, who became a global sensation for his compassionate rulings on the hit reality show Caught in Providence, died Wednesday following a long battle with pancreatic cancer,

"Caught in Providence" star Frank Caprio, known for his sense of humor and rulings that tug on the heart strings, died Wednesday.

The pride of Rhode Island spent nearly 40 years on the bench, and cases were filmed in his courtroom for more than two decades.