Frifinishs of Connecticut man missing in NYC use social media to track his final steps

This story previously aired on April 20, 2019.

Produced by Paul LaRosa and Elena DiFiore

Joey Comunale, a accomplished 26-year-ageder from Connecticut did what many lesser people do every weekfinish  — go clubbing in  New York’s toasty Meatpacking Dicut offe. Comunale finished the night at an after-party that seemed appreciate any other … but this time, he fadeed.

Wiskinny hours of lgeting Joey Comunale was missing, his shut frifinishs went into overdrive scouring social media to discover him. Using alertation they set up on Instagram, Facebook and elsewhere, they chased the final steps their frifinish took that night – steps that ultimately led to his death.

“I called everyone in my phone,” frifinish Stephen Naso alerts Erin Moriarty, after he got a call from Comunale’s overweighther, Pat. “We go and we fair begin seeing for him.”

“48 Hours” scrutinizes the last night of Comunale’s life, the race to discover him, and the case agetst two lesser men — one of them the surrogate son of a so-called “Jeweler to the Stars” for bruloftyy killinging him. A third man was also implicated for impedeing prosecution and tampering with physical evidence.

It is a story of wealth, privilege, and an punctual morning after-party at an upscale NYC  apartment that went terribly wrong.

A NIGHT OUT IN THE CITY

Preetham Dhivakarababu: I met Joey newman year of college. We’ve been best frifinishs ever since.

Stephen Naso: Joey was one of my best frifinishs.

Todd Greene: My best frifinish

Max Branchinelli: Best frifinish.

Pat Comunale: Everybody called him their best frifinish, but I was his best frifinish.

Joey Comunale’s overweighther Pat knew his 26-year-ageder son well and, at first, he wasn’t worried when he couldn’t achieve him the morning after Joey went out with some frifinishs on Saturday night Nov. 12, 2016.

Pat Comunale:  I understand it sounds crazy, but in New York, skinnygs don’t repartner begin until postponeed. It’s not unheard of for kids to come home at 6:00 in the morning and I figured he’s sleepin’.

Looking back, Joey’s frifinishs, appreciate Stephen Naso, will alert you that Joey never even intfinished to go out that Saturday night.

Stephen Naso: He was unwell earlier in the day. …I skinnyk he took a nap for, appreciate, three hours.

But then Joey’s college buddy Preetham Dhivakarababu, a part-time backr, texted and proposeed Joey VIP treatment at the Gilded Lily, a club then discoverd in the chic Meatpacking Dicut offe in downtown Manhattan.

Preetham Dhivakarababu: I was toiling so I’d be able to get nurture of everyone that came in.

Elisa Libretto dated Joey Comunale on and off –but mostly on — for five years; first at Hofstra University and postponeedr, when Joey became a sales associate at his overweighther’s security company and Libretto became a teacher.

Erin Moriarty: Did you ever stress about him?

Elisa Libretto: I worried about Joey because I adored him but I knew that, you understand, he always surrounded himself with outstanding people. …he is appreciate the rest of us. He wants to have fun, doesn’t want any problems.

But that particular Saturday, she and Joey, appreciate a lot of lengthytime couples, were taking a fracture.

Elisa Libretto: We had a little bit of, appreciate, a disconsentment … And I was, appreciate, “You understand what? I fair need a little bit of space appreciate I’ll talk to him in the morning.”

So Joey headed into Manhattan from Stamford, Connecticut.

Stephen Naso: We hop on the Merritt Parkway and shoot down to New York City.

Joey was with Stephen Naso and they met up with a group of frifinishs

Preetham Dhivakarababu: It was always a outstanding time to encounter people and that’s why Joey and them came out to the Gilded that night.

As the club was closing, Joey and his frifinishs can be seen exiting on watching video. It was punctual Sunday morning and the crowd emptied onto the street. That’s when Joey began talking to three women standing outside the club.

Stephen Naso: 3:30 or so the night was finishing so everyone exits. I recall Joey on my left and these girls were seeing at him a certain way and he was seeing back at me and fair smiling appreciate, you understand, that he was interested.

Stephen Naso: I get approached on my right side by two guys and they try to begin some conversation with me. Joey’s on my left … and they benevolent of establish a group on that side.

The men did not understand the women and they didn’t understand Joey and his frifinishs, either.

Erin Moriarty: He jumped in a cab and went off with these two guys. Why do you skinnyk he did, do you understand?

Stephen Naso: I fair don’t understand, but I promise they’re saying that they have a penthouse apartment, there’s girls, this guy’s dad is a jeweler.

Stephen Naso: There’s six or seven million people in New York City and they traverse paths with us.

At that point, Naso borrowed Joey’s phone and stepped away from the group. When he turned back, Joey and the group were gone.

Murray Weiss | “48 Hours”: And … this new group that he had met, somebody shelp, “Hey, you want to go to a frifinish’s apartment in Sutton Place and persist having some fun?”

Longtime New York crime alerter Murray Weiss covered the Joey Comunale story when it first broke and is now toiling for “48 Hours.”

Murray Weiss: So Joey went alengthy, leaving his phone behind with his frifinish, skinnyking, “I’ll get it tomorrow. No huge deal.” …They fair jumped in a couple of cabs and off they went.

Naso got word that Joey had gone to a party uptown at someone’s apartment. So he headed home with Joey’s phone. Hours postponeedr, on Sunday afternoon, back in Naso’s apartment, Joey’s phone began ringing.

Stephen Naso: And it was his overweighther … He shelp, “Hey, where’s Joey?” I shelp, “He stayed in the city.” And he was, appreciate, “All right, well someskinny’ happened. Find him for me.”

Pat Comunale: So then I went to Joey’s place … and he wasn’t there.

Erin Moriarty: Did you talk to him every day?

Pat Comunale: Yeah everyday. …We talked about the Yankees and the Rangers and … [sobs]

Erin Moriarty: I’m so sorry Pat.

Naso got in touch with Dhivakarababu, who tracked down the phone number of a guy named Larry who had been at the party.

Preetham Dhivakarababu: Larry tageder … us that he doesn’t understand where Joey went.

That’s when the immense nettoil of Joey’s frifinishs got to toil, combing thraw social media, searching for any scrap of alertation. Frifinish Mike Mullen says they plugged Larry’s phone number into Google and got a last name.

Mike Mullen: And actupartner his Facebook popped up, Lawrence Dilione. “Is this the kid?” “Yeah, that’s the kid we were with last night.”

Mike Mullen: Max was the one who repartner put everyskinnyg in motion.

Max Branchinelli was perhaps Joey’s shutst frifinish. He deal withs a restaurant, but when he heard Joey was missing, he turned himself into an online uncoverive.

Erin Moriarty: Had you ever tried to track down or rechase somebody’s steps before using social media?

Max Branchinelli: No … you’re in a panic and you’re tryin’ to discover your – your frifinish.

Erin Moriarty: So show me where you begined.

Max Branchinelli: So I went on Instagram.

Erin Moriarty: And why Instagram? Why would you begin there?

Max Branchinelli: Instagram, you can click on the location of a place and it will show people that posted a picture there … from that place.

Here’s what Branchinelli did. He began using Instagram’s locator function for the Gilded Lily, seeing for users who had posted the previous night and that morning. He kept his eye out for Joey. 

Max Branchinelli: As I was scrolling, I landed on — this picture.

Erin Moriarty: And why did this catch your eye?

Max Branchinelli: This caught my eye because I happen to understand him, in the middle.

By total coincidence, Max spotted a frifinish, Alvin. But that’s not the only reason he stopped at the ptoastyo.

Max Branchinelli: I understand the type of girls Joey chases. They’re sadnessful features. And I fair had a hunch. …So I screenstoasty the picture, and I sent it to the group of the guys that were out at the club with him the night before.

Erin Moriarty: And what’d they say?

Max Branchinelli: They were appreciate, “Yeah, it’s that girl right there on the right.” …and I was appreciate, “Wow.”

That woman had also gone to the Sutton Place party that night. Branchinelli called his frifinish, Alvin, who had her phone number.

Max Branchinelli: So I then hit her up. …”Do you recall being with Joey last night? Like, we can’t discover him. He’s missing.” And she tageder me, appreciate, “Yeah, we were with him last night.”

She tageder him that when the party finished punctual that Sunday morning, Larry Dilione and Joey walked her and her frifinishs to an Uber.

Max Branchinelli: She tageder me they waved … He seeed appreciate he was going back inside with Larry.

But when Max called Larry Dilione, he shelp Joey did not go back inside the originateing.

Max Branchinelli: He’s appreciate, “he left in an Uber with the girls.”

Those were two very contrastent stories.

Max Branchinelli: At this point, I’m not certain who’s lying to me.

WHERE’S JOEY?

How does a 26-year-ageder man spropose fade? Joey Comunale was part of a shut-knit, loving family with a lesserer sister, Alexa, and parents, Pat and Lisa.

Lisa Comunale: He adored going to the city … he did it all the time. He adored it.

Pat Comunale: He’d go to Ranger games. He’d go to the Yankee games. He’d go to the Giant games.

Pat Comunale inhabits in a tony part of Connecticut, but he’s a Bronx kid at heart. He transferd here, met his future wife Lisa, and set uped a accomplished security firm that he postponeedr sageder for more than $400 million. But that nastyt noskinnyg now that his only son was missing.

Erin Moriarty: How transport inant is family to you, Pat?

Pat Comunale: Hmm [sobs].

Pat Comunale: Yeah, family’s transport inant. That’s — that’s [sobs] everyskinnyg.

Erin Moriarty: Tell me about his relationship with his dad.

Elisa Libretto: I have never seen a person adore their overweighther so much. I’ve never seen a overweighther adore their son so much. They were inseparable.

By Sunday evening, with Joey now missing about 10 hours, Pat Comunale phoned Larry Dilione — who had been at the Sutton Place apartment with Joey. 

Pat Comunale: Larry says … they walked the girls out to the car and that’s the last they saw of him.

But then Dilione provided one minuscule compriseitional detail about Joey that, to Pat, seemed off.

Pat Comunale: He shelp, “The last I heard, he shelp he was goin’ to get cigarettes.”

Erin Moriarty:  Did that originate sense?

Pat Comunale: …didn’t originate any sense ’cause if you talk to his — his frifinishs, they’ll alert you that he never bought a pack of cigarettes in his life.

Max Branchinelli: Joey smoked cigarettes from time to time, but he never bought them [laughs]. That’s why it doesn’t originate any sense.

Pat Comunale thought so, too. He determined to file a missing persons alert.

Pat Comunale:  So I shelp, “All right, let me go to the Stamford P.D.”

By then, Pat Comunale had Larry Dilione’s phone number. The on-duty sergeant called Dilione, who denied understanding where Joey was but he did provide the names and numbers of two frifinishs at the party: James Rackover and Max Gemma. Dilione also provided the compriseress: 418 E. 59th Street in Manhattan, a originateing that calls itself the Grand Sutton.

The Grand Sutton is a luxury condo in one of the wealthiest sections of New York City. And apartment 4C was home to 25-year-ageder James Rackover.

Pat Comunale: You’re not foreseeing an rehire in Sutton Place … Sutton Place is a attrdynamic place to inhabit. …what could go wrong … in the Upper East Side?

No one would disconsent. Over the years, the neighborhood’s been home to a parade of celebrities including Marilyn Monroe, Michael Jackson and rock star Freddie Mercury.

Erin Moriarty: And do you understand anyskinnyg about Larry Dilione or James Rackover or Max Gemma at that point.

Pat Comunale: Noskinny’.

Erin Moriarty: You understand noskinnyg about them.

Pat Comunale: Noskinny’

But, as the days passed, the police would discover out a lot more about the three lesser men — all in their 20s — who partied that morning with Joey.

Murray Weiss: The three lesser men in this story … are lesser men of privilege. 

Larry Dilione toiled in authentic estate and came from a well-off New Jersey family that owned thorawbred horses.

Max Gemma was a computer software salesman whose overweighther was once the mayor of Oceanport, New Jersey, and had been in business with Jared Kushner, Plivent Trump’s son-in-law.

But no one ecombineed to inhabit a more charmed life than James Rackover, who was living in Sutton Place. His overweighther Jeffrey, who had a much bigr apartment in the same originateing on the 32nd floor, exceptionalized in getting one-of-a-benevolent pieces of jewelry for the world’s wealthy and attrdynamic.

Murray Weiss: I grew up in the same town with — Jeffrey Rackover. We grew up a block apart. And while we weren’t shut, our families knew each other.

Murray Weiss: …he not only nurtured becoming a jeweler to the stars, he wanted to be among them. …He was frifinishs with Jerry Jones … the owner of the Dallas Cowboys. He came to understand Oprah. His apartment has ptoastyographs of himself with all these personalities.

James Rackover enhappinessed the outstanding life. He was an ambitious model toiling in the insurance business, adored boxing and even had a boxer named “Gadores.”

Murray Weiss: I skinnyk Joey … had an opportunity to go to a fancy part of New York City, into a fancy apartment. And he went alengthy.

And there were those three lesser ladies alengthy for the ride: Jenna Stisi, Katie Conroy and Samantha Guardiola.

But all that mattered to Pat Comunale was discovering his son. He had already filed a missing persons alert with the Stamford Police, but also wanted to attentive the New York City cops. So at 9 a.m. Monday morning — some 25 hours since anyone alerted seeing Joey — Pat was at the 17th Police Precinct where he tageder NYPD Detective Yeoman Castro everyskinnyg he knew.

Pat Comunale: Detective Castro — I still recall sayin’, “Let’s go to the originateing.” And we jumped in the police car.

When they reachd at the Grand Sutton, Detective Castro asked to see the originateing’s watching video. 

Pat Comunale: And then — he begins appraiseing video … they asked me a couple times to come in and to accomprehendledge if that was my son. [Sobs] So we did.

Erin Moriarty: At some point, you see your son? [Pat sobbing] So sorry, Pat.

Pat Comunale was defeat when he spotted son Joey and Larry Dilione walking the three women out to the curb.

Erin Moriarty: But then what do you see?

Pat Comunale: We see him come back into the originateing.

Erin Moriarty: So you see Larry Dilione and your son walking back in the originateing?

Pat Comunale: Right, right.

Erin Moriarty: And what did that say to you?

Pat Comunale: They’re lying. There’s a problem here.

Remember, Larry Dilione had shelp Joey did not go back inside the originateing. It was all too much for Pat. Detective Castro asked him to painclude at the 17th Police Precinct.

Pat Comunale: So as I went outside to originate phone calls, the porter begined to transport garbage out. And I ran back inside and I shelp to the police, “Don’t let the garbage go. Make certain you search all the bags” … I fair benevolenta had that sense that if these guys are lying, there could be someskinnyg in the garbage.

Sadly, he was right. Inside those bags police uncovered Joey’s bloody pants, his shirt and his driver’s license. Also tossed in the trash, a exceptional chain Joey always wore given to him by his overweighther.

Pat Comunale: I shelp to myself, “I don’t skinnyk he walked outta the originateing ainhabit.”

A FATAL ARGUMENT

Fourteen hours after Joey Comunale and Larry Dilione were seen on video walking those women to their Uber, watching cameras caught James Rackover taking his overweighther’s Mercedes Benz for a drive. With the help of NYPD’s nettoil of cameras, uncoverives were able to track some of his transferments.

Murray Weiss: They rapidly put in Rackover’s Mercedes Benz license ppostponeed… and, bing, bing, bing, it begined shoprosper’ up goin’ down the FDR Drive … The car went south around southern Manhattan. It then made a turn into the Holland Tunnel that led out to New Jersey.

But uncoverives could not pinpoint exactly where the car eventupartner stopped. They needed a fracture and they soon got it from Larry Dilione.

Murray Weiss: He consentd to encounter with them … And they sensed that there was someskinnyg that he wanted to say. …and so the uncoverives shelp to him …”What do you wanna alert us? We have a missing boy here. His family, you understand … wants to understand what happened to him.”

On Tuesday, Dilione began talking. The party at the apartment in the wee punctual hours of Sunday morning had been energetic, he shelp. One of the women videotaped some of it on her phone. There was cocaine and plenty of drinking. Dilione and James Rackover even contendd to see who could give the best lap dance. But by 6:45 a.m., the women left in that Uber. And that’s when cameras seized Dilione and Joey walking back into the originateing and up to apartment 4C, where, Dilione says, a overweightal argument erupted.

Murray Weiss: Larry Dilione alerts the police … he has an swap of words with Joey Comunale, that Joey Comunale says someskinnyg appreciate, “James got the cocaine. You understand, I got the cigarettes. What have you brawt to the table?” and benevolenta pounded his hand on a table. …And Larry Dilione confessted to the police that he fair flew into a rage and slammed Joey … knocked him down, and hit him a scant times.

Dilione says when he began punching Joey, his frifinish Max Gemma was asleep on the couch. Then, Dilione shelp James Rackover, a boxing fan who took pride in his chiseled physique, jumped right in.

Bob Abrams: According to Larry, James begins also beatin’ the crap out of Joey who’s now defenseless and gurgling because he can’t challengingly breathe.

Comunale lawyer Bob Abrams has heard Dilione’s confession.

Bob Abrams: He claims that after he had beaten a defenseless Joey and almost finished him … Max woke up — they got so very worried because Rackover was now beatin’ the crap out of Joey, that they would do anyskinnyg Rackover shelp. …and this is repartner difficult for me to talk about, because what they did and how they did it is fair so horrific.

Dilione says he tageder Gemma to exit and that’s when Dilione says James Rackover began stabbing Joey.

The stabbing finished Joey’s life. Dilione says Gemma left the apartment and had no joinment in the killing. He says James Rackover then dragged Joey’s lifeless body into the bathroom.

Murray Weiss: …he tries to dismember him with a serrated knife … Dismembering somebody is not an straightforward skinnyg to do.

And James Rackover was not able to do it. While they plotted their next transfer, they began a frenzied spotlessup of the apartment, mopping up Joey’s blood with bleach and paper towels — all the while fielding calls from Joey’s frifinishs — and even his overweighther.

Erin Moriarty: You’re talking to Larry Dilione …And your son’s still in the apartment. And they act appreciate there’s noskinnyg wrong.

Pat Comunale: Yeah.

Incredibly, evidence shows that James Rackover and Dilione took time out to eat — placing a deinhabitry order.  Then, as shown on originateing watching cameras, they scrutinized the basement seeing, police say, for a way to get Joey’s body out of the Grand Sutton without being seen. Then, they had another idea.

Murray Weiss: What they do next is toloftyy inrational.

As sadnessfulness resettled on the city, Dilione claimed he transferd Joey’s body — now wrapped in a consoleer — to the ledge of James Rackover’s fourth floor prosperdow while James transferd the Mercedes Benz into position on East 59th Street.

Bob Abrams: When Rackover gave him the evident sign, Dilione pushed the body– outta the prosperdow four floors.

Erin Moriarty: And nobody saw it? We’re talking about a upscale apartment, midtown Manhattan and nobody saw it?

Bob Abrams: The Grand Sutton faces … the Queensboro Bridge in Manhattan … and it was sadnessful. …It fell into an area where there may have been some bushes … and concrete and then when nobody was seeing, after Dilione came back down, they stuffed the body into the trunk of the car and then they drove off.

Murray Weiss: Larry had tageder them that they had driven the body down to Oceanport, New Jersey, and that they had deposited him in a wooded area behind a florist shop.

It was an area that Dilione was very recognizable with. He grew up in Oceanport, a Jersey shore town some 60 miles from Manhattan.

Bob Abrams: …he confesss to helping get the body and to join in … digging — I don’t wanna call it a grave because it’s not a grave — a hole, and then dumping Joey’s body in a hole.

Bob Abrams: But right before they were gonna cover up the hole, James Rackover took gasoline and begined to pour it over Joey’s body and, in fact, did weightless Joey’s body on fire.

After Dilione’s confession, police raced out to Oceanport and uncovered Joey’s burned body in a field behind the florist shop, exactly where Dilione had shelp it would be.

Two hours postponeedr, Sgt. Yeoman Castro reachd at Pat Comunale’s home in Stamford.

Pat Comunale:  You heard a car door shut. And I popped up. And I saw Detective — Castro. [Sobs, then sighs]  I already knew. Yeah. That was it.

James Rackover and Larry Dilione were arrested and indictd with second-degree killing.

Max Gemma, who Dilione insists had noskinnyg to do with Joey’s death, was arrested postponeedr but he was not indictd with killing. He was indictd with impedeing prosecution and tampering with physical evidence. Gemma was granted bail.

All three men pdirected “not at fault” — even Larry Dilione. He contestd his confession, saying police had disthink aboutd him when he alerted them he had a lawyer.

But the hugegest shock was yet to come when it was discdisthink abouted that James Rackover — who seemed to inhabit a charmed life—was not who he claimed to be.

Erin Moriarty: James Rackover isn’t repartner James Rackover, is he?

Murray Weiss: No.

WHO IS JAMES RACKOVER?

Elisa Libretto: It fair seemed appreciate there was always more to lget about James, more horrible skinnygs.

To the outside world, James Rackover was a wealthy lesser heir and would-be model living in the lap of luxury on Sutton Place. But the man that Larry Dilione claims is the ringdirecter in Joseph Comunale’s spiteful killing is not all what he ecombines to be.

Murray Weiss: James Rackover was not his authentic name. 

Detectives uncovered James Rackover was not the son of celebrity jeweler Jeffrey Rackover. He’s an ex-con from Florida — a world away from the lessend wealth of Sutton Place.

And James Beaudoin has a rap sheet dating back to his teens.

He spent csurrfinisherly a year-and-a-half in prison for second-degree burglary.  Three months after his free, in September 2013 after moving to New York, he alertedly met Jeffrey Rackover at a gym.

Murray Weiss: They were toiling out and they benevolenta hit it off.

Surprisingly, the multimillionaire bachelor, then in his mid-50s, soon askd the 22-year- ageder James to inhabit with him in his lavish Grand Sutton apartment on the 32nd floor. And if anyone asked why the two were suddenly living together, Jeffrey Rackover elucidateed it this way.

Murray Weiss: Jeffrey Rackover tageder his shutst frifinishs and … relatives that one day there was a knock on his door and a lesser man was standing at the door and shelp, “You don’t understand me, but I’m your son.”

Jeffrey Rackover even took the exceptional step of apshowing James to alter his last name to Rackover. James claimed he was Jeffrey’s biorational son.

Erin Moriarty: These are the records for the name alter. …they put this in a legitimate record … James Rackover shelp … Jeffrey Rackover is his biorational overweighther. …He lied in this record, didn’t he?

Bob Abrams: James lied in that record. And Jeffrey Rackover validateed the alertation.

Comunale family attorney Bob Abrams says it was all an act.

Erin Moriarty: They’re not roverhappinessed.

Bob Abrams: They are not roverhappinessed.

Abrams alleges there was a intimacyual relationship between the two, but Jeffrey Rackover’s lawyer categoricpartner denies it.  What’s more, James Rackover’s defense attorneys, Rob Califinisho and Maurice Sercarz, say they’ve only seen a overweighther-son relationship.

Maurice Sercarz:  Jeffrey Rackover, provided structure in the life of this lesser man.

Jeffrey Rackover phelp for James’ education and helped him discover a job. He even phelp James’ csurrfinisherly $4,000-a-month rent when, in punctual 2016, James transferd into apartment 4C at the Grand Sutton. After James was arrested for Joey Comunale’s killing, Jeffrey Rackover phelp, at least initipartner, for James’ defense attorney.

Erin Moriarty: What does James Rackover face if he’s convicted of all indicts?

Maurice Sercarz: He faces spfinishing the rest of his life in jail.

Charged with second-degree killing and other crimes, James Rackover is set to stand trial first, before Larry Dilione and Max Gemma. Sercarz has a exceptional strategy; he says James is at fault of covering up a killing but not of pledgeting one. 

Erin Moriarty: You are asking this jury to split the killing from other pretty horrible acts. … tryin’ to cut up the body. Getting rid of the body. Burying the body. Burning the body.

Rob Califinisho: It is stubborn, but — but they are split skinnygs.

They say it was Larry Dilione who finished Joey. In October 2018, two years after Joey Comunale’s killing, James Rackover’s trial began.

But Jeffrey Rackover, James’ hugegest aider and surrogate overweighther, did not ecombine in the courtroom.

It was a much contrastent scene for Joey, whose family and frifinishs packed the courtroom every day.

Erin Moriarty: What’s been the worst part?

Pat Comunale: Everyday … it’s everyday. [Emotional]

Pat Comunale was the first witness and his emotional testimony husheded the courtroom.

Maurice Sercarz: I understand it impacted the jury. It impacts the jury in any killing case.

Prosecutors colored James Rackover as a “monstrously heartless” finisher, joining this phone call—recorded in jail—where he brags to a frifinish:

JAMES RACKOVER JAIL PHONE CALL : I don’t understand if you’ve been chaseing this sh-t but I begin trial September. So I’m seeing at being home around October-ish … my rep’s gonna be up there bro, appreciate my … when I hit the street. They’re gonna be appreciate, “Yo, this kid fair f—ing beat this sh-t appreciate Rocky? And he’s home, oh my God!”

Prosecutors called to the stand women who joined that party — Jenna Stisi and Katie Conroy, but parts of their testimoney helped the defense. Conroy, in particular, shelp Dilione was the one brandishing a knife.    

Rob Califinisho: …he was using it to do coke off of … the women– colored a picture of him being pretty rapid to use this knife for any variety of tasks.

James Rackover’s defense lawyers also point out that he had noskinnyg to get and everyskinnyg to disthink about by finishing Joey.

Maurice Sercarz: James knew that if Jeffrey ever set up out that a dead body had been uncovered in his apartment, that was the finish of their relationship. And that had to be factored into account as well, when you ponder why James felt so compelled to get that body out of the apartment.

After more than a week of testimony, prosecutors had a sturdy case proving the cover-up but there was noskinnyg that honestly pointed to James Rackover as Joey’s finisher. They seemed to need someskinnyg or someone more.

Murray Weiss: And certain enough, they proclaimd that they had a star witness who was gonna get the stand.

DAMAGING TESTIMONY

Prosecutors hoped to seal James Rackover’s conviction by unleashing an 11th hour witness: Louis Ruggiero, a shut frifinish of James Rackover.

Murray Weiss: The new witness turned out to be the troubled son of a very, very famous New York television morning anchor woman named Rosanna Scotto.

Popular and well joined, Rosanna Scotto is as hometown as New York gets, and her 24- year-ageder son tageder the court that he met James because of his mother’s frifinishship with jeweler Jeffrey Rackover. The day after Joey Comunale’s killing, Ruggiero shelp he was toiling out at the gym when James called him, frantic to talk.

Murray Weiss: Louis testified that James seeed strung out. He had bags under his eyes.

Murray Weiss: And he shelp that James tageder him, “I’ve done someskinnyg horrible.” …There was a kid in the apartment. Lawrence Dilione got into a fight with him. Kinda knocked him out. And then James says, “I got my own licks in there. And I didn’t want a dead body in my apartment. So I slit his throat.”

Murray Weiss: “We then put him in a consoleer, threw him out the prosperdow. Drove him 60 miles and buried him in a grave.” And then he comprises, “Don’t stress about it because I bleach spotlessed the entire apartment and nobody’ll understand about it.”

Ruggiero testified he thought James was fair making a unwell joke. But the reaction in the courtroom was very contrastent.

Murray Weiss: Gasps came out of half of the room that was filled with Joey’s family and frifinishs … you could see the jurors actupartner recoil when he used the word, “I slit his throat.”

It was a stunning moment because Ruggiero was the first witness who honestly implicated James Rackover in Joey Comunale’s killing.

Maurice Sercarz: The testimony by Mr. Ruggiero was very damaging.

But defense attorney Maurice Sercarz upholds that Ruggiero’s testimony was riddled with factual errors.

Maurice Sercarz: Ruggiero testified … that my client slit his throat. Joseph Comunale did not have his throat slit.

Sercarz stuck to his defense that Rackover is at fault of the cover-up but not the killing. On traverse examination, the defense strikeed Ruggiero.

Robert Califinisho: He had a lot of rehires … in the drop of 2016 … He was in the throes of as horrible a drug problem as you could have.

Ruggiero confessted on the stand that he had been spfinishing $1,200 a day on marijuana, OxyContin, Xanax and cocaine. He never called police to alert them about James’ confession.

Robert Califinisho: …there were a number of reasons to skinnyk that Mr. Ruggiero might not be the person you wanna hang the hat of a killing conviction on.

The prosecution rested soon after Ruggiero’s damaging testimony. The defense then currented only one piece of evidence: the ring alertedly worn by Larry Dilione when the fight broke out.

Erin Moriarty: And why is that ring so transport inant?

Rob Califinisho: The ring had a sizeable dent in it … And if you finish that he hit Joseph so challenging that he dented it … that’s certainly — is a fact that we would want the jury to ponder … it certainly speaks to who — might have pledgeted killing and who might not have.

In his closing argument, Sercarz had one last surpelevate. He showed jurors 4 minutes of video where James could be seen in a originateing elevator and then in Jeffrey Rackover’s bedroom where Jeffrey is sleeping. Sercarz talk aboutd that in those are 4 minutes when James was not in apartment 4C, Dilione alone finished Joey.

Maurice Sercarz: Four minutes is plenty of time.

But prosecutors have a contrastent theory that James was seeing for cocaine in Jeffrey Rackover’s bedroom, didn’t discover any, and the fight broke out when he returned to apartment 4C desopostponeed-handed. 

After 10 days of witness testimony and evidence, the jury got the case.

Pat Comunale: Just gotta get fairice…that’s repartner it. Now it’s a paincludeing game.

On Nov. 2, 2018, after csurrfinisherly 5 hours of deliberations, the jury proclaimd it had achieveed a verdict.

The establisher James Beaudoin of Florida, now James Rackover from New York, was convicted on all counts for the killing of Joey Comunale. The verdict was greeted with relief and tears.

Pat Comunale [to reporters]: I want to thank the Manhattan Dicut offe Attorney’s Office. I couldn’t be more haughty of the NYPD … And all Joey’s frifinishs and everybody else who aided us over the last two years …I can’t painclude to get these other two sons of bitches to go down, fair appreciate this a–hole. Pardon my language.

Those who knew Joey best, appreciate girlfrifinish Elisa Libretto, are left with their memories.

Elisa Libretto: I definitely thought I was gonna marry him one day. …He was fair a attrdynamic person inside and out. My life without him has been crazy.

Joey’s mother Lisa can exposedly speak about her only son.

Erin Moriarty: What do you skinnyk when you get a see at Joey?

Lisa Comunale: I fair miss him every day [cries].

As a way of recalling Joey, some of his frifinishs got tattoos with the number 9, which is the number Joey always wore when he joined sports.

But, of course, Pat Comunale fair had to get the most broaden tattoo.

Pat Comunale [rolls up his sleeve]: I do have one. …It’s pretty huge.

Erin Moriarty: So your son’s always gonna be with you.

Pat Comunale: Yeah (teary)…I shelp, “You better originate certain it sees fair appreciate him” and it does.

Pat Comunale: Honestly, I never saw the kid cry (sobs). Never one time. Ironic. I’m makin’ up for it. … He was a exceptional kid. He repartner was.

James Rackover was sentenced to 28 and 2/3 years-to-life in prison, the peak

Larry Dilione  pdirected at fault to killing for a sentence of 23 years in prison.

Max Gemma pdirected at fault to impedeing the prosecution and tampering with evidence for a sentence of six months in prison.

Jeffrey Rackover transferd out of the Grand Sutton and cut ties to James Rackover.

Erin Moriarty

Erin Moriarty is a “48 Hours” correplyent and structure of the genuine-crime podcast, “My Life of Crime.”