Robert J. Frasco, Founder Of Frasco Investigative Services, Dies. He Started His Firm In 1964 And Built It California-Statewide And Nationwide Serving Predominantly Workers' Compensation Claims Clients.
By Lonce LaMon - January 10, 2016
Robert J. Frasco, the founder of Frasco Investigative Services, died on December 26th 2015, while at his home in Massachusetts. Frasco was universally known in the work comp industry as an investigator of workers’ compensation claims back before work comp fraud ever even made a modest splash in the news in the mainstream media. He founded his investigative services company in 1964 with insurance claims’ clients as the core of his business—especially workers’ compensation claims clients. He grew it into a nationwide, multi-office behemoth. He was 84 years old at the time of his death.
This writer met Robert Frasco in 1980 at the embryo of her career when publishing a paper magazine for workers’ compensation claims professionals. Frasco had just purchased a building at 4625 Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood, California. That location is at the east end of Sunset Boulevard, and I rented an office suite on the first floor.
I knew the company as the R.J. Frasco Agency. I still think of the company that way today. Thus, I always call them R.J. Frasco.
John Simmers, who is still with Frasco Investigative Services to this day, was the manager of the 4625 Sunset Boulevard building. He and Robert Frasco were especially cordial and professional; and they treated me especially well.
Renting from John Simmers and Robert Frasco was a true delight. The excellent relationship I enjoyed with the two of them is so well remembered in my heart and memory to this day. They allowed me to hang large framed posters of Van Gogh and Toulouse Lautrec paintings on the walls in the hallway. They were very cool and gave me lots of freedom. That building was so wonderfully eccentric and “funky”. I experienced a year of the most exciting creativity and wonderful professional growth then. The recession of 1981-1982 ground my tiny publication to a halt. It’s a pain I will never forget. But I will never forget John Simmers’ fine and generous manners when I reluctantly had to give my notice to move out.
There were off-beat art galleries, bohemian restaurants, warehouses, and some g-string girly-bar places along that strip of Sunset. It was fun and I used to laugh a lot in those days. There was a shower in the bathroom in my office as the building was a converted apartment building. I even had a dedicated little coffee room. It was such a blast.
James G. Soto, who today is a vice-president of claims with Tristar Risk Management based in Long Beach, was my editor of the publication. He wrote copiously and creatively as we published for the claims community right out of that fabulous R.J. Frasco building.
Within a few years, the Frasco owners sold that building and moved to their headquarters of today in Burbank, California. They’ve been at their Burbank headquarters for likely 30 years now, but I always remember the east Sunset Boulevard building. That was back in the day when Angeline billboards were all over Hollywood.
Robert Frasco and John Simmers wrote a book in 1993 entitled Workers’ Compensation Abuse: An Employer’s Guide To Combating Fraud Through Early Intervention Investigation. It is ISBN10 number 1882180038 for anyone who may want to obtain the publication through online sources. The material is relevant today.
Frasco’s business expanded California state-wide and nationwide as the services grew beyond investigations. Background checks became one of the products called: Frasco Profiles.
Born November 25, 1931 in Tacoma, Washington, R.J. Frasco then spent his youth in Los Angeles. Interestingly he was a childhood actor. He had roles in The Bells of St. Mary’s and numerous other films. He then served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War.
He was a lifelong student of history, religion, and philosophy. He was a devout Catholic and a faithful member of St. John the Evangelist Church in Agawam, Massachusetts. On December 31st he was buried at the Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Cemetery with full military honors.
Robert J. Frasco is survived by his son Robert L. Frasco of Jacksonville Beach, Florida; son Ronald Frasco of Santa Monica, California; daughter Lori Leonard Frasco of Calabasas, California; granddaughter Courtney Leonard of Burbank, California; three brothers: Louis Frasco of West Hills, California; James Frasco and his wife Susan of Arizona; and Michael Frasco of Colorado; longtime friend Beverly Stone of Denver, Colorado; companion Wilma Judd of Santa Monica, California; and his devoted wife of 39 years, Elaine Frasco.
lonce@adjustercom.com; Lonce LaMon, journalist; all rights reserved, copyright adjustercom and Lonce LaMon.
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