Michele Savoia, Broadway Costume Designer, Found Dead in Hudson River

By Associated Press

02/17/2014 at 05:30 PM EST

Michele Savoia

New York City Police Department/AP

A designer who did costumes for such Broadway shows as Swing, Promises, Promises and Evita died after he apparently fell into the Hudson River while trying to board his boat in Manhattan, police say.

The New York City medical examiner's office said Monday that more tests are needed to pinpoint the cause of 55-year-old Michele Savoia's death.

Police divers recovered his body in the icy waters off Chelsea Piers on Sunday afternoon. He was last seen leaving the Marquee nightclub around 4 a.m. Thursday.

The New York Times reports that Savoia – though not widely known in the fashion world – enjoyed a following among fellow aficionados of the stylish 1930s and '40s. Police issued a photo that showed Savoia posing in a big fur coat, rakish hat, black vest and pinstriped pants.

The Daily News reports that Savoia's client list included Robert DeNiro, Mickey Rourke and Chris Noth. He designed costumes for the Evita revival starring Ricky Martin.

"He could at times be a wild man," says a close friend, Kevin James Dalton. "You never knew what he was going to do. He'd always surprise you."