During a night that was heavy on drinks and light on security, a 17‑year‑old New Jersey high‑school football player was tragically stabbed outside the Live Axe bar in TriBeCa, according to fresh court filings from his mother.
Rocco Rodden, who was just 17 when the fatal knife attack occurred on Nov. 23, 2023, was shot in the heart by Gianluca Bordone, a Long Island resident who later confessed to the killing but was found not guilty of both manslaughter and assault.
Angelina Rodden says that Live Axe, the security firm Burns Consulting, the bar’s staff, promoters, and even a limousine company all created a “perfect storm” that night. She alleges the venue failed to hand out wristbands to those old enough to drink and did not properly check IDs before letting anyone in.
The mother argues that the lax security also allowed Bordone, who was 19 at the time, to slip a pocket knife into the Lafayette Street club.
Bordone, who lives in Oyster Bay, claims he felt threatened when a group containing the victim pursued him down the street, “and I was afraid that they would hit me hard and kill me,” he told the court, a statement reported by Newsday.
Authorities also say that Bordone stabbed Rocco’s older brother, Anthony, outside the bar while the three of them were at a private gathering.
In her lawsuit, the Rodden family claims that due to Bordone’s reckless conduct, he could have potentially killed Anthony as well. The suit requests damages but does not specify an amount.
Promoters, security staff, and other event workers are accused of not calling the police after the stabbing. The lawsuit names the bar’s owner, Zac Segal, and the promoter, Ian Magid, in addition to Bordone. Neither Bocie nor the Live Axe and Burns Consulting representatives responded to requests for comment. A lawyer for Burns Consulting, Kenneth Belkin, dismissed the claim as frivolous, stating, “Many horrible tragedies do not result in legal liability and this is one of them… My heart goes out to the family of Mr. Rodden for their loss, but this is a frivolous lawsuit against my client.”
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