The young lover of a prominent Manhattan jeweler was sentenced to 28 and 2/3 years in prison for the brutal murder of a Connecticut man in a ritzy Upper East Side apartment, according to the New York Post.
James Rackover, 27, is the alleged lover and adopted son of celebrity jeweler Jeffrey Rackover, 57.
Prosecutors painted a gruesome picture of the night of November 13, 2016, arguing Rackover and his friend Larry Dilione, 30, murdered Joseph Comunale, 26, after a night of hard partying.
Dilione reportedly met Comunale for the first time that night, and the two went over to Rackover’s luxury residence for a late-night afterparty.
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An argument is thought to have been sparked by a lack of cocaine, which somehow led to Rackover and Dilione beating Comunale unconscious, dragging him to the bathtub and stabbing him 15 times.
A former friend of Rackover’s, Louis Ruggiero, son of Fox5 “Good Day New York” host Rosanna Scotto, was called to the stand to describe a confession he received from Rackover the following day.
“I slit his throat and stabbed him,” Rackover told him.
In an attempt to cover up the crime, Rackover, Dilione, and a third man who was present that night but not part of the killing, Max Gemma, bleached the bathroom.
After ordering takeout of “organic burgers and fries”, they drove the body to Oceanport, New Jersey, poured gasoline over it and burned it in a shallow grave.
Rackover’s defense team argued Dilione was the real killer, and that Rackover only helped cover up the crime.
Manhattan Supreme Court Justice James Burke gave Rackover the maximum sentence available.
“This is precisely the rare kind of case that maximum consecutive sentences are reserved for, and no other lesser sentence would make much sense,” he said.
Chrisk
Moral of the story… When your obsession for young pretty things overrides your common sense this is the result.
QueerTruth
I thought it was- don’t adopt you’re lover.
glennmcbride
I thought it was one of the “50 ways to lose your lover.”
Donston
The complete moral actually is: don’t be obsessed with youth, especially when that person is probably mostly into you for money and to support their drug habit.
The age difference is less disturbing than him adopting the dude. Who does that? The young guy was a druggie and probably wasn’t even gay-identifying. He may have been one of those “I’m mostly straight or whatever but I’m cool with trying different stuff and am open to love or whatever” kind of dudes.
Also, his “lover” was not who he killed.
Kangol
An argument is thought to have been sparked by a lack of cocaine, which somehow led to Rackover and Dilione beating Comunale unconscious, dragging him to the bathtub and stabbing him 15 times.
A former friend of Rackover’s, Louis Ruggiero, son of Fox5 “Good Day New York” host Rosanna Scotto, was called to the stand to describe a confession he received from Rackover the following day.
Quality individuals, these. Lock Rackover (son), Dilione and Gemma ALL up and throw away the key!
Evji108
@ Chrisk Moral of the story: Blame the victim who clearly should have known his young lover would murder him. Silly man.
Eye of the Beholder
Who said the young man murdered his older lover? Don’t post anything but the catalyst for “Blame the victim who clearly should have known his young lover would murder him.”
Where did you read that before you posted a comment to this video?
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
The narrative of this story somehow changed. Originally they went back to the apartment and the killers thought the victim was coked up enough to engage in a sexual tryst. When he declined that is when they got agressive which led to his senseless torture and murder….
This dumbass had all that he wished for provided for by his lover/Father. Now he gonna engage in some different kind of sexual encounters in prison without the luxury accommodations….
Chrisk
Back in the day when I had the patience for it I would’ve tried some Ecstasy. Works wonders on the straight boys. Lol
Caine
That was only a rumor. No one knows what happened – I originally thought it was over a sexual pass gone wrong but after following the case – I don’t think that is what happened.
Ptar1
The elder lover wasn’t the person killed, folks.
Did you even read the same story I did? Well, Kangol did. Chrisk and Evji108? I’m not so sure.
Chrisk
Yes my bad. Blame my little phone screen 😉
My point is still relevant since his young BF is a complete psycho and there had to be signs to it. Looks over personality basically.
JayHobeSound
Closeted psychopaths.
RIP Joe Comunale
nitejonboy
Damn, why didn’t they just order more cocaine ? I’m sure someone delivers it in Manhattan.
Eye of the Beholder
Lmao! Maybe they felt in hindsight that Comunale the man from Connecticut promised more coke than he had because he just wanted Dilione to take him inside Rackover’s “ritzy Upper East Side apartment”. Who knows?
oz1967
It sounds like some sick gay porn set up father/son thing, my god sick and twisted individuals who all deserve a life sentence.