CrimeJun 30, 2017
Jeffrey Rackover, a “jeweler to the stars” who operates out of New York’s Diamond District, is facing a civil suit for his alleged connection to a Manhattan murder.
Michelle Graffmichelle.graff@nationaljeweler.com
New York--A New York-based jeweler known for crafting high-end diamond jewelry for a celebrity clientele is facing a civil lawsuit for allegedly helping to cover up a murder.
Filed Sunday in New York Supreme Court by Patsy Comunale, the father of the victim, the suit seeks unspecified damages against Jeffrey Rackover, 57, for allegedly aiding 26-year-old James Rackover--who has been publicly referred to both as Jeffrey’s adopted son and as a man with whom he had a romantic relationship and supported financially--following the murder of Joseph Comunale.
Jeffrey Rackover operates a business in New York’s Diamond District and has gained a reputation as a “jeweler to the stars,” with a list of past clients that includes Oprah Winfrey, Jennifer Lopez and journalist Katie Couric. In 2004, People magazine wrote about Rackover, who at the time was the vice president of Graff Diamonds, designing an engagement ring for a famous bride-to-be--Melania Trump.
On Friday morning, Jeffrey Rackover’s attorney, John J. Rosenberg, issued the following statement on behalf of his client: “It is difficult to imagine the pain that Mr. Comunale must be experiencing, but the fact is that Jeffrey Rackover had absolutely nothing to do with these tragic events. Mr. Rackover has no desire to litigate this matter in the press and he looks forward to his total vindication when the actual facts are revealed during the course of the court proceedings.”
The crime at the center of the civil case against him took place in the early morning hours of Sunday, Nov. 13, 2016.
According to the New York District Attorney’s Office, the 26-year-old Comunale, of Stamford, Connecticut, was repeatedly stabbed inside James Rackover’s Manhattan apartment following a party that also was attended by 28-year-old Lawrence Dilione and Max Gemma, 29.
At about 9:45 p.m. that night, the DA’s office says that James Rackover and Dilione drove Comunale’s body, which also had been burned, from Manhattan to Oceanport, New Jersey, where they buried it in a shallow ditch.
Comunale’s body was discovered by police three days later.
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