Pascal Cucaro was born to Italian parents in Youngstown, Ohio. He worked in the circus during his childhood summers -- which ignited an interest in clowns, and circus life. After serving in World War II, he attended the California School of Fine Arts in San Francisco, and then returned to Europe to travel throughout France, Spain, and Italy to study art.

Cucaro's style is characterized by bold, gestural qualities complimented by a thick application of paint. In some cases, Cucaro applied paint straight from the tube to the canvas.  In the mid-1950s Cucaro traveled to New Orleans to do a series of paintings of the picturesque French Quarter. He is best known for circus scenes, and well as depictions of San Francisco cityscapes. The artist spent the majority of his career as an artist in San Francisco, where he became part of the art scene during the lively 'Beat' years in San Francisco. Cucaro created a large body of work, of which some pieces are held in collections of Georgia Museum of Art, Allentown Art Museum, Vanderbilt University Fine Arts Gallery, among others.