Francis Iacono

Francis Iacono, beloved restaurateur, father, grandfather and friend, died in his home of natural causes on Sunday January 12. Francis Iacono was not a native son to Provincetown, but in time his life and his contributions to the community have become interwoven with the very fiber of the beautiful tapestry of this town. Many are the souls, both living and gone, that have been privy to his small but impactful gestures of kindness. He was part of the community of artists, writers, and creative entrepreneurs that were drawn to the beckoning finger of the outer cape over the decades, and really, over the centuries...

Francis was born in Providence, Rhode Island on January 3, 1942, the son of Lucy and Frank Iacono, and came to Provincetown in the late 60’s to see Sal Del Deo, whose family emigrated, just as the Iaconos had, from the island of Ischia in southern Italy. While he maintained a deep affection for his Rhode Island roots, Cape Cod quickly became his true home.

He joined a colorful community that represented a beautiful splicing of two worlds, those from away, and those whose roots here reach back generations. Fishermen and artists, living side by side - the point at which the two ropes joined became invisible in time, and the resulting bond was rooted in magic, the raw natural beauty of this land, and the work ethic and the creative life force of its people.

Francis was a man of relatively few words, as his creativity was expressed through his photography, his painting, printmaking and sculpture, and of course, his cooking. His restaurant Rosy in the East End of town was a cultural phenomenon that is still remembered with affection and fascination 50 years later.

In his later years, Francis opened 9 Ryder Seaside Dining, which was housed in a humble little building that hugged the water’s edge at the base of Fisherman’s Wharf. He and his partner Fred Hemley created a restaurant that paid homage to the Italian restaurants of Provincetown’s golden era, while simultaneously also honoring the present. Over the past thirteen years, 9 Ryder won over the hearts and bellies of summer visitors and locals alike. After the passing of Fred Hemley in 2022, the community rallied both emotionally and financially to ensure that 9 Ryder would continue to exist. Freddy’s sister, Susan, joined Francis at the helm, and they had two more glorious seasons. As we mourn Francis’s passing, we also mourn the end of a community gathering place that was explicitly created for the people of Provincetown. The sense of community that developed at 9 Ryder within the world of both customers and employees, was one of Francis’s great sources of pride and joy.

While the legacy of his two restaurants, and his contributions to other iconic Provincetown dining establishments over the years might seem adequate, Francis had a work ethic, curiosity and willingness to learn that was unparallelled. Over the years, he was a fisherman, a lobsterman, a carpenter, a house painter, he worked in telecommunications, and even had a trash truck. His commitment to providing for his family often meant that he had to work away from home for extended periods of time, a sacrifice no father wants to make.

The last years of Fran’s life were exceptional. The amazing adult children and grandchildren in his life were a tonic that brought ease and joyfulness to his life daily.

As his children have grown and created families of their own, they have taken the life lessons and work ethic he demonstrated and made lives for themselves that have not strayed very far from his professions and creative interests. The saying “an apple doesn’t fall far from the tree” is certainly relevant...

Francis (or Pop as he was known by his children and grandchildren) leaves behind many saddened friends and heartbroken family including his children Nikaline Francesca Iacono, of Durham, Maine, Alex Francis Gano Iacono and Florence Mauclere Iacono of Truro, Zachary Bogan of Truro, Rory Bogan of the Bahamas; his former wife Muffin Ray of Peacham, Vermont and his four grandchildren: August Leopold Roche, Zola Frances Roche, Storm Elizabeth Mauclere Iacono, and Francis (Frankie) Gano Mauclere Iacono.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday February 6 at the Unitarian Universalist Meeting House of Provincetown. A private burial at the Provincetown Cemetery will follow.