Jeweler To The Stars Denies Murder Cover-Up
(JTA) — A New York jeweler whose clients include Melania Trump, Oprah Winfrey and Jennifer Lopez denied accusations in a civil lawsuit that he helped cover up a murder in his apartment building by his adoptive son.
The suit was filed last week against Jeffrey Rackover, 57, in New York State Supreme Court in connection with the murder trial of James Rackover, 26.
Jeffrey Rackover’s lawyer, John Rosenberg, issued a statement saying he “had absolutely nothing to do with these tragic events” and “looks forward to his total vindication when the actual facts are revealed.” Rosenberg also said it was “difficult to imagine the pain” being felt by plaintiff Pat Comunale, the father of the victim.
Both Rackovers have described the younger man as an adoptive son who assumed the jeweler’s last name. But the suit claims that they were actually lovers.
James Rackover is accused in the murder of Joseph Comunale, 26, of Stamford, Connecticut, the Advocate reported. According to the indictment, James Rackover and another man allegedly beat and stabbed Comunale to death in a Manhattan apartment in November. The fight reportedly started over cigarettes following a night out.
A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you move on, I wanted to ask you to support the Forward’s award-winning journalism during our High Holiday Monthly Donor Drive.
If you’ve turned to the Forward in the past 12 months to better understand the world around you, we hope you will support us with a gift now. Your support has a direct impact, giving us the resources we need to report from Israel and around the U.S., across college campuses, and wherever there is news of importance to American Jews.
Make a monthly or one-time gift and support Jewish journalism throughout 5785. The first six months of your monthly gift will be matched for twice the investment in independent Jewish journalism.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO