The body of a flamboyant fashion designer missing since Thursday was pulled from the icy Hudson River Sunday near the yacht he was living on, officials said.
NYPD divers fished Michele Savoia’s body from the water near where his yacht was docked at Pier 59 at 1:20 p.m. Sunday. The 55-year-old designer-to-the-stars was still wearing the raccoon coat he was last seen alive in.
“I knew he was in that water. I am so glad they found his body,” Savoia’s heartbroken girlfriend, Juli Berg, 47, told the Daily News.
Cops suspect Savoia — nicknamed the Tailor — had been drinking and partying and likely slipped off a gangplank leading to his yacht, sources said. While the investigation into Savoia’s death continues, police do not suspect foul play was involved.
A source said Savoia had recently survived a previous tumble into the river while drunk.
Berg said she often worried about Savoia living on the yacht — a wooden Chris Craft built in 1958, the year of Savoia’s birth.
“It’s icy, snowy and windy. And the water was really, really rough,” said Berg, 47, an editor on the History Channel series “American Pickers.”
She said the gangplank leading to Savoia’s yacht was often slippery with ice.
“I messaged him Thursday to check on him, (writing) ‘Are you OK in the storm?’ ” said Berg sobbing. “I didn’t hear from him.”
She said she knew something was wrong when he stood her up on Valentine’s Day.
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“He seemed so invincible. It shouldn’t have ended like this for him. It is so tragic,” Berg said.
NYPD divers searching the river off 16th St. discovered the body at 1:20 p.m. Sunday under a moored boat just 20 feet from Savoia’s yacht.
“We kind of figured he was out there,” a law enforcement source told The News.
Savoia’s driver, Alberto Alonso, said cops called him with the tragic news minutes after they found the body.
“They just found him dead,” Alonso told The News, choking back tears.
Alonso reported Savoia missing Saturday morning after being unable to reach him since Thursday.
Savoia was last seen about 4 a.m. Thursday leaving the Marquee nightclub on 10th Ave. in Chelsea, where he capped off New York City Fashion Week with friends.
“I don’t want to say I’m not surprised, but he lived on the edge,” said Christina Logothetis, a student of Savoia’s at the Fashion Institute of Technology in 2009.
Known for his unique 1930s art deco clothing, Savoia’s client list included actors Robert DeNiro, Mickey Rourke and Chris Noth. He designed singer Ricky Martin’s costumes for the Broadway revival “Evita” and dressed Tom Hanks for his Broadway debut as Daily News columnist Mike McAlary in “Lucky Guy.”
With Lachlan Cartwright and Rocco Parascandola
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