Franco Cacace used to come into his Italian restaurant and change the tables around if the mood struck him. Some days he was more humble than others, family described. He didn't like to be contradicted, cared about whether his hat matched his shirt, and wouldn't let work get in the way of his tennis and poker games. On the morning of his cremation, his loved ones played "My Way" by Frank Sinatra.

Franco died Dec. 12, 2020, about two months after he was diagnosed with stage four bladder cancer. He was 73 years old. Over the last two decades Franco started several Italian restaurants in metro Phoenix, including Arrivederci Trattoria in Ahwatukee Foothills run by his friend Max Sahin and Arrivederci Cucina Italiana in Fountain Hills run by his son Gaetano and Gaetano's business partner.