Funeral held for Joey Comunale, Connecticut man murdered on Upper East Side

STAMFORD, Connecticut (WABC) -- Family and friends said a final goodbye to a man found dead in New Jersey after disappearing in Manhattan.

The funeral for Joe Comunale was Wednesday morning at St. Leo's Church in Stamford.

On Tuesday, a viewing was held for the 26-year-old Hofstra graduate, who authorities said was fatally stabbed at a party on the Upper East Side.

The wake was held at the Lacerenza Funeral Home.

Comunale's parents entered the funeral home early, carrying pictures of their son. It began a day-long event as wave after wave of mourners streamed into the building.

"A wonderful young man, brought up by a good family, gone way too soon in such a horrible way," aunt Lucy Weizenecker said. "It shouldn't happen to anybody, but especially him."

Comunale disappeared Nov. 13 after a night of partying, and his body was later found along the Jersey Shore. Police said Comunale was stabbed 15 times and his body burned before he was found buried in a shallow grave.

Two men, James Rackover and Lawrence Dilione, are charged in connection with his death, but so far, neither has directly been charged with murder as investigators work to determine who was ultimately responsible for the crime. Both suspects have been uncooperative with authorities and are being held on $3 million bail.

The party was at Rackover's home, and the 25-year-old originally from Florida reportedly has numerous arrests under his birth name, James Arthur Bodin.