According to recent court documents, the mother of Rocco Rodden, a New Jersey high school football player fatally stabbed in 2023, attributes his death to excessive alcohol consumption and insufficient security measures at a New York City ax-throwing bar.
On November 23, 2023, a Long Island resident, Gianluca Bordone, stabbed 17-year-old Rodden in the heart outside Live Ax in Tribeca. Bordone confessed to the act but ultimately was found not guilty of manslaughter and assault.
Angelina Rodden, Rocco’s mother, argued that on the night of the incident, multiple parties—including Live Ax, a security firm called Burns Consulting, and various event personnel—contributed to a dangerous situation. She claims they failed to provide wristbands to those of legal drinking age and did not properly check identification, as required.
Additionally, she insisted that Bordone, then 19, was able to smuggle a pocket knife into the venue due to poor security protocols.
Bordone maintained in court that he feared for his life when he was chased by a group that included Rodden and faced physical aggression.
“I honestly thought they might push me down, stomp on me, or even hit me with a bottle,” he stated during his testimony.
Authorities also suspect Bordone of stabbing Rodden’s brother, Anthony, during this incident, suggesting that he may have unlawfully killed him as well, according to the lawsuit filed by Angelina Rodden, which is seeking unspecified damages.
She claimed the event organizers and security personnel neglected to inform law enforcement after the stabbing occurred.
Neither Bordone, Live Ax owner Zach Segal, nor promoter Ian Magid responded to requests for comments. Meanwhile, the legal team representing Burns Consulting dismissed the accusations. Attorney Kenneth Belkin noted that while he sympathizes with the Rodden family, he views the lawsuit as baseless.
