Slain New Jersey high school football star Rocco Rodden's father remembers him as 'biggest warrior and protector'
Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.
MONTVALE, NEW JERSEY: The tragic loss of Rocco Rodden, a vibrant 17-year-old high school football star from New Jersey, has left a community shattered.
Rocco's valiant act to protect his older brother moments before his untimely death paints a picture of bravery and selflessness amidst an inexplicable tragedy.
His father, Douglas Rodden, remembers him as a beacon of strength, a warrior, and the heart of the family, as per NY Daily News.
NJ football star Rocco Rodden, 17, fatally stabbed on pre-Thanksgiving NYC night out was ‘biggest protector’ dad tells News
— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) November 26, 2023
“Family is broken ... died in his brother’s arms.”
Leaving Live Ax NYC restaurant. Suspect Gianluca Bordone, 19, of L.I., busted.https://t.co/LvogFQE4Qd
Rocco Rodden stepped in to protect his brother before the fatal stabbing
Rocco Rodden, the 17-year-old New Jersey high school football player who was fatally stabbed by a stranger on a Manhattan street early Thanksgiving morning, stepped in to keep the peace and protect his older brother in the moments before his tragic death, according to his grief-stricken father.
Douglas Rodden, 53, described his slain son as "the light in the darkest room, the eye of the tiger, the life of the party, the biggest warrior and protector there was," in an emotional interview with The Daily News on Saturday.
He added, "It's a tragedy. The family is broken because, you know, he died in his brother's arms."
The heartbroken father said he last spoke to Rocco just hours before the deadly dispute, reminding him to be safe on his night out in New York City. Instead, Rocco suffered a fatal 6-inch stab wound around 1.49 am on November 23 after leaving a private party at Live Ax NYC restaurant.
Authorities said 19-year-old suspect Gianluca Bordone, of Oyster Bay, Long Island, was also inside the restaurant before the street fight broke out upon exiting. Bordone allegedly stabbed both Rodden brothers before fleeing the scene in a taxi and later being arrested about a mile away.
Rocco Rodden was a standout member of his high school football team
In addition to leaving behind his grief-stricken family members, Rocco's tragic death has devastated his teammates and coaches at St Joseph's Regional High School in Montvale, New Jersey, where he was a junior and standout member of the football team.
"He was a great kid who lit up a room whenever he came in," said head coach Dan Marangi, who described Rocco as always ready with a laugh or cheer for his fellow players. He added, "You couldn't say a bad word about him."
The school shared the "heartbreaking news" in a statement, extending its deepest condolences to Rocco's family and friends. At 6 ft (182 cm) and 280 pounds (127 kg), the 17-year-old played offensive lineman, serving as a leader who easily made friends.
Rocco's best friend, Vin Ferrara, honored him in an emotional Instagram post, writing, "More than a brother to me and was family since Day One. One day in another life we can look back at all of our good times together."
Coach Marangi's last conversation with Rocco occurred shortly before the fatal dispute, talking and laughing about the next football season.
"We were cracking jokes, laughing, and we were just talking," recalled Marangi, continuing, "We started out talking about what he needs to do next year, and then we’re laughing and joking and talking about all the good times."
Suspect Gianluca Bordone was drinking prior to stabbing Rodden brothers
Gianluca Bordone allegedly stabbed both Rodden brothers with a 6-inch knife during a street altercation outside Live Ax NYC, where authorities said the suspect was drinking before the dispute. Surveillance footage purportedly shows him swinging the knife first at Rocco, then his 19-year-old brother.
Covered in blood, Bordone initially tried to flee by boarding a nearby party bus before running away and catching a taxi, prosecutors said. When arrested about a mile away, he was wearing a bloody blue vest matching the one seen on video lying on the ground near the crime scene.
A bloody handprint was also left on a wall.
"This is something that was completely out of character," said Bordone's tearful uncle to The Daily News, adding, "It's tragic. It's tragic on both sides."
The Rodden brothers and Bordone apparently had no prior relationship, with police describing the fatal stabbing as the result of a random dispute that turned violent in a matter of minutes around the Thanksgiving holiday.