Norristown's 'Ambassador To The World' Hank Cisco Dies At 97

NORRISTOWN, PA — Hank Cisco, who gained recognition and love from the community as Norristown's "official ambassador to the world," died on Tuesday morning. He was 97.

Cisco carved out a name for himself in many arenas: from professional boxing and law enforcement to a voice of the Norristown area community.

"He was a great man who grew and developed as a man throughout his life and contributed to the community with consistent passion and care," a statement on Cisco's official Facebook page read on Tuesday.

Born Frank Ciaccio in 1923, he changed his name to Hank Cisco because, as a young boxer, it rolled off the tongue easier and would be easier to market his name in fights.

His experience in the boxing world made him connections with some of the biggest names in athletics and culture in the 20th century. A 2016 Inquirer profile notes that he once kicked Muhammad Ali out of a ring in Philadelphia, refereed an early Joe Frazier fight in the city, trained alongside the notorious Rocky Marciano, was a pallbearer at Frank Rizzo's funeral, and taught Tommy Lasorda how to box.

Cisco was inducted as a referee into the Pennsylvania Boxing Hall of Fame in 1983, and Montgomery County's chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 2016.

But boxing was just the beginning for Cisco, as he went on to a long and respected career as a Norristown police officer before eventually turning to NASDtv, where he has produced the Hank Cisco Show for decades. He interviewed everyone from local leaders and athletes to community members, business owners, and law enforcement officers.

It was during that time that he was named Norristown's official ambassador to the world at a municipal council meeting. It was believed at the time that he was the only person to hold such a formal position in the entire state of Pennsylvania. He left that role in Jan. 2019.

NASDtv, channel 28 on Comcast and channel 45 on Verizon, will be airing commemorative content for the next two weeks in honor of Cisco, the page announced.

"Today is a tragic day..." NASDtv shared in a statement Tuesday. "We as a programming entity owe Hank a massive debt for his care for our kids and the community. He touched thousands of lives and brought information to the community every week for years."

Tributes came in from around the Norristown community on Tuesday.

"Sad day for Norristown," Norristown Municipal Waste-Authority shared.

"RIP Hank Cisco, Ambassador of Norristown and friend to many," Conshohocken Italian Bakery wrote. "Prayers to all Hank's family and friends."