Joseph Comunale Killing: Jeweler's Surrogate Son, Friend Indicted On Murder Charges (2024)

James Rackover and Lawrence Dilione were charged Wednesday with second-degree murder for the grisly stabbing of 26-year-old Joseph Comunale.

Posted Wed, May 10, 2017 at 6:22 pm ET

James Rackover, 25, the surrogate son of jeweler to the stars Jeffrey Rackover, and his friend Lawrence Dilione, 28, will face second-degree murder charges, prosecutors told Patch. Rackover and Dilione were also charged with hindering prosecution, tampering with evidence and the concealment of a human corpse, according to the Manhattan District Attorney's office.

A third man, Max Gemma, 29, will face charges for hindering prosecution and tampering with evidence, but was not charged with murder, prosecutors said.

"The brutality of this horrific murder was compounded by the defendants’ efforts to dispose of the victim’s body in an attempt to evade prosecution," District Attorney Cyrus Vance said in a statement. "We will prosecute this case to the full extent of the law to achieve justice for Joseph and the Comunale family."

Joseph Comunale's body was dug up from a shallow grave in a remote, wooded area of Oceanport, New Jersey, on November 16, 2016. The Stamford Conn. native, reported missing days before he was found, suffered at least 15 stab wounds, a broken pelvis and evidence indicated that someone attempted to burn his body, according to police and the DA's office. A large duffel bag was discovered near the burial site, prosecutors said.

Soon after Comunale's body was found, investigators determined that he was last seen alive partying in a posh Upper East Side apartment owned by James Rackover. Dilione met Comunale and Gemma while out partying the night of Saturday, Nov. 12 and brought him and three other women to a 4 a.m. party at Rackover's condo in the posh Grand Sutton tower — located on located on East 59th Street near First Avenue.

According to the DA's office, Dilione admitted to police that he and another man took Comunale's body to New Jersey.

"We took Joey's body to Oceanport, N.J. and we buried it in a vacant lot," Dilione told investigators.

In the days following, investigators unearthed damning evidence that tied Rackover and Dilione to the murder.

Evidence unearthed by police suggests a 2015 Mercedes Benz licensed to Jeffrey Rackover was used to transport the body. James Rackover was seen loading a large duffle bag into the vehicle in the late evening of Sunday, Nov. 13, according to a criminal complaint.

The vehicle was seen traveling from the Upper East Side into New Jersey via the Holland Tunnel Sunday Night and then back through the Holland Tunnel at 3 a.m. Monday morning. Rackover was then seen exiting the vehicle at a 58th Street garage Monday, according to the DA's office.

A police dog later discovered signs of the presence of a human cadaver in the trunk of the vehicle.

The NYPD flashed the younger Rackover a search warrant and entered his apartment, where they found evidence of foul play relating to Comunale's disappearance and death, an NYPD spokesman told Patch.

The grisly murder captivated New York City media due to Rackovers connections with celebrity jeweler Jeffrey Rackover, who's clientele includes Oprah Winfrey and Donald and Melania Trump. But despite sharing a last name, the two aren't blood relatives. James Rackover's birth name is James Beaudoin, and he came to New York City after a troubled past life in Florida.

While still living in Florida Beaudoin was arrested multiple times for crimes such as burglary and drug possession, according to the report. In 2009 he pleaded guilty to burglary and was sentenced to six years in prison, although it is unknown exactly how much of that time he spent behind bars, the Daily Mail reported.

Rackover and Dilione are currently being held on $300,000 cash bail, according to court records. Neither of the two accused murderers have posted bail. Max Gemma was release following the posting of a $200,000 bail bond, according to court records.

All three men are due in court on May 19, according to court records.

Photo of James Rackover by Bebeto Matthews/Associated Press