James Rackover, Ex-Con Turned Upper East Side Socialite, Charged in Murder of Party Guest

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — An Upper East Side party boy who was reportedly like a son to Jeffrey Rackover, Oprah and Donald Trump's go-to jeweler — even taking Rackover's last name — has been charged with the murder of 26-year-old Joseph "Joey" Comunale. His alleged accomplice? Lawrence Dilione, 28, a business owner whose New Jersey offices are located just minutes from the wooded area where Comunale was found buried in a shallow grave.

Comunale, of Stamford, Conn., was last seen partying over the weekend in the glitzy Upper East Side condo of James Rackover, 25. Comunale reportedly met Rackover's other party guests while clubbing in Manhattan earlier Saturday night. They arrived at the Grand Sutton around 4 a.m., according to multiple reports.

Rackover was charged with concealment of a human corpse, hindering prosecution and tampering with physical evidence Thursday. Rackover owns an apartment on the fourth floor of the Grand Sutton tower, located on East 59th Street near First Avenue, according to the NYPD.

Dilione, the New Jersey business owner, has been charged with the same crimes as Rackover, police told Patch. Dilione's LinkedIn profile lists him as the owner of Shore Point Roofing, a business located next door to Oceanport, N.J. — the same town where Comunale's corpse turned up Wednesday.

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

Rackover wasn't always sharing an apartment with star jeweler Jeffrey Rackover. In fact, James Rackover is actually from Florida and was born James Beaudoin, the Daily Mail reported. 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.

But when the troubled youth moved to New York City he found a way to turn his life around when he met Jeffrey Rackover, who took him in and treated him like a son, private investigator Bo Dietl told the Daily Mail.

"Jeffrey never had children, he developed a relationship with this young man and introduced him to his family," Dietl, who said he's been a friend of the older Rackover for 30 years, told the Daily Mail.

"They first met, I believe, at a health club about three-and-a-half years ago. Jimmy moved into the apartment about a year ago. Jimmy changed his name to James Rackover because Jeffrey liked this kid so much."

A message left for Dietl was not immediately returned.

The victim's father told reporters Thursday that his son Joey touched the hearts of everyone he met, and that he didn't deserve to be killed.

"He was one of a kind. He didn't deserve this — he didn't go looking for trouble," Pat Comunale said.

"We're in denial," Comunale told reporters. "All I have left is his friends."

In its online listing, the Grand Sutton is described as "an intimate building" with all the classic Upper East Side amenities: a doorman, concierge, courtyard garden, gym, etc. Condos in the building currently sell for around $2 million and rent for around $6,000 per month.

Image of the Grand Sutton via Google Maps