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Fashion Designer Michele Savoia's Body Found In Hudson River

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The body of missing fashion designer Michele Savoia was found in the Hudson River not from the yacht where he lived, his friends told CBS 2's Don Champion.

Police confirmed that a body had been recovered around 2 p.m. near Pier 57 in Chelsea and identified Savoia on Sunday night.

Fashion Designer Michele Savoia's Body Found In Hudson River, Friends Say

Savoia, of the House of Savoia, was last seen early Thursday morning inside Marquee, a nightclub on Tenth Avenue in Manhattan. He was attending a party thrown by Paris Hilton, police said.

Savoia, also known as "The Tailor," was seen on surveillance video leaving the club alone at around 4 a.m., Champion reported.

"If I had to describe Michele Savoia  is a red corvette going 150 miles per hour down a highway without a driver," friend Felix Rodriguez said.

The 55-year-old Chelsea resident was featured on CBS 2 just last month in a story about high-end pawn shops.

Savoia explained how he used his motorcycle as collateral so he could buy a boat, which he lived on at Chelsea Piers.

Savoia missed Valentine's Day plans with his girlfriend, causing Rodriquez to go check for him at the boat. A friend said that he believes Savoia slipped off of the dock. Foul play is not suspected in the designer's death.

Savoia's online biography says that, in addition to having his own fashion house, he designed costumes for productions including the most recent revival of "Evita."

Savoia was nearly as recognizable as his clients CBS 2's Steve Langford reported. At 6 ft tall with unmistakeable tattoos he worked with actors like Robert DeNiro and Chris Noth.

Friends told Champion that Savoia was set to start filming a reality show in the coming months.

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(TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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