Caddie at Maidstone golf club charged with manslaughter after fatal brawl with boss

A friendly get-together to watch a golf tournament escalated into a fight between two co-workers that left the head caddie at the exclusive Maidstone Club in East Hampton dead and one of his top employees facing a manslaughter charge, prosecutors said.

Kevin Somers, 45, of Amagansett, was found dead Feb. 5 after a brawl with Marc Dern, 34, while at Dern's home in East Hampton, authorities said.

Dern, who was Somers' assistant at the Maidstone Club, is accused of putting his boss in a headlock and breaking a small bone in his throat, essentially choking him to death, according to charging documents.

He was arrested on Friday and charged with first-degree manslaughter.

Dern, who was not injured in the fight, pleaded not guilty during his arraignment Friday, where he was held on $500,000 cash or $1 million in bond, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office.

The DA's office plans to present the case to a grand jury on Feb. 15. Dern is due back in East Hampton Justice Court on Feb. 16.

John Ray, Dern's attorney, said the two men were "best friends" and worked together at the Maidstone Club, which caters to celebrities and the ultrawealthy. Ray said Somers was the "caddie master" at the club and Dern was his assistant.

"It's a calamity," Ray said, calling the death unintentional. "They were watching the Olympics and golf. … There's no question there was some kind of tussle. … There was an awful lot of alcohol involved."

Neither Dern nor Somers' family could be reached for comment.

East Hampton Town Police responded to the Lincoln Avenue home shortly before 11 p.m. following a 911 call. Somers was taken to Stony Brook Southampton Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Prosecutors said the fight was sparked when Dern's wife told Somers to leave the home because she wanted to put her two sons, ages two and four, to bed.

Dern's wife told police that Somers was drinking, "getting aggressive" and was "out of control" before the fight, prosecutors said.

The two men began "wrestling" and the fight escalated, charging documents state.

Claude Beudert, 68, of Sag Habor, said he was Somers' golf coach at East Hampton High School during the late 80s and early 90s. He attended a service for Somers Saturday, which was packed with community members and old teammates.

"These guys are so sorrowful," he said.

Somers, he said, was known for his great laugh and his affable personality. He was a three-sport athlete in high school — golf, baseball and basketball, he said.

Beudert said Somers, who had a teenage daughter, had a good relationship with Dern.

"They worked together. No rivalry. Friends," he said.

Jim Nicoletti said he was Somers' high school baseball coach. "He was just a guy who got along with everyone. I never saw him get upset," said Nicoletti, 70, who lives in Florida. "When we got in tight situations, I always hoped they would hit the ball to Kevin."

Somers' family set up a GoFundMe page to establish a scholarship in his name "to continue his legacy of sporting excellence for local student-athletes."

As of Monday afternoon, the site had raised $44,230.

By Robert Brodsky

robert.brodsky@newsday.com,craig.schneider@newsday.com@BrodskyRobert,

Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.