By John Burton
OCEANPORT – The son of a former mayor was the latest person arrested in connection with a body of a murdered man found in a makeshift grave in November in the borough.
According to information provided by the Manhattan, New York, District Attorney’s Office, New York City police on Dec. 6 took into custody Max Gemma, 29, charging him in connection with the death of Joseph Comunale, a 26-year-old Stamford, Connecticut man.
Comunale’s body was discovered on Nov. 16 in a shallow grave behind a Monmouth Boulevard florist shop.
Comunale’s body had suffered stab wounds and was partially burned, according to the criminal complaint.
Gemma is the son of Gordon Gemma, who had served as Oceanport’s mayor as a Democrat from 1997 to 2003. Before that he was a member of the Oceanport Borough Council.
The elder Gemma is a lawyer and land use professional planner who, according to his LinkedIn page, currently works as a consultant for Panepinto Properties, Jersey City. From 2006 to 2013 he was director of the Kushner Companies, the large real estate development firm that owns Monmouth Mall and is owned and operated by Charles Kushner and Jared Kushner.
OCEANPORT – The son of a former mayor was the latest person arrested in connection with a body of a murdered man found in a makeshift grave in November in the borough.
According to information provided by the Manhattan, New York, District Attorney’s Office, New York City police on Dec. 6 took into custody Max Gemma, 29, charging him in connection with the death of Joseph Comunale, a 26-year-old Stamford, Connecticut man.
Comunale’s body was discovered on Nov. 16 in a shallow grave behind a Monmouth Boulevard florist shop.
Comunale’s body had suffered stab wounds and was partially burned, according to the criminal complaint.
Gemma is the son of Gordon Gemma, who had served as Oceanport’s mayor as a Democrat from 1997 to 2003. Before that he was a member of the Oceanport Borough Council.
The elder Gemma is a lawyer and land use professional planner who, according to his LinkedIn page, currently works as a consultant for Panepinto Properties, Jersey City. From 2006 to 2013 he was director of the Kushner Companies, the large real estate development firm that owns Monmouth Mall and is owned and operated by Charles Kushner and Jared Kushner.
According to the D.A.’s office, Max Gemma was charged with tampering with physical evidence and hindering prosecution in the first degree.
Gemma has been released on bail.
New York City Police had previously arrested James Rackover (also known as James Beaudoin), 24, New York, and Lawrence Dilione, 28, Jersey City, charging them with the same offenses.
According to media reports, Comunale was last seen on security video entering an Upper East Side, New York City, apartment last month.
Comunale’s death was caused by multiple stab wounds, as many as 15, and his body had been doused with gasoline and set on fire, according to the autopsy conducted by the Middlesex County Medical Examiner.
Gemma will next appear in court on Jan. 17, according to the D.A.’s press office.
Gemma has been released on bail.
New York City Police had previously arrested James Rackover (also known as James Beaudoin), 24, New York, and Lawrence Dilione, 28, Jersey City, charging them with the same offenses.
According to media reports, Comunale was last seen on security video entering an Upper East Side, New York City, apartment last month.
Comunale’s death was caused by multiple stab wounds, as many as 15, and his body had been doused with gasoline and set on fire, according to the autopsy conducted by the Middlesex County Medical Examiner.
Gemma will next appear in court on Jan. 17, according to the D.A.’s press office.
Correction: This article has been corrected to reflect in the New York State criminal complaint Gemma was not charged with concealment of a human corpse, as were the two other defendants.
