MONTVALE, New Jersey – The community of Montvale, New Jersey, is in mourning after a 17-year-old student was fatally stabbed during a brawl outside a Manhattan club on Thanksgiving morning. Rocco Rodden, a rising star football player at St. Joseph’s Regional High School, had his promising future cut short when he was involved in a confrontation with another teenager that turned deadly.
The Rodden family is devastated by the tragic incident. Rocco’s father, Douglas Rodden, expressed the heart-wrenching pain of burying a child, calling it completely unacceptable. The tight-knit family has been shattered by this unimaginable loss.
The unfortunate incident unfolded in the early hours of Thanksgiving near the corner of Lafayette and White Streets in Lower Manhattan. According to witnesses, multiple fights broke out involving teenagers outside a club. Rocco and his brother were both stabbed, with Rocco sustaining a fatal injury to his torso. His brother survived the attack but required 50 stitches.
Rocco Rodden’s death has caused a ripple of sadness and sorrow within the community. Describing his son as a true warrior who valiantly defended his friend, Douglas Rodden paints a picture of a bright light extinguished too soon. The alleged perpetrator, 19-year-old Gianluca Bordone of Oyster Bay, New York, has been arrested and now faces murder charges.
Rocco, a junior at St. Joseph’s Regional High School, played on the offensive line for the football team. The school’s principal sent a heartfelt note to families, offering their deepest condolences and calling on the community to find solace in remembering and celebrating the life of their beloved student.
The Montvale community mourns the loss of Rocco Rodden, a talented young athlete taken too soon in a senseless act of violence. Tragic incidents like this serve as a stark reminder of how fragile life is and the need to address the underlying problems that lead to them.