Why Can't We Know Why? Nicodemo Trial Ends in Mystery Mistrial

Johnny Casasanto
REVISED VERSION OF EARLIER STORY: Anthony Nicodemo's Philadelphia murder trial was declared a mistrial earlier today.

The question "why?" will be hotly debated, as only a tantalizing hint of the cause of the mistrial was revealed via the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office, which issues a statement pinning the mistrial on "issues involving a juror." The prosecution had rested its case and the defense was to commence this morning. The timing is interesting.

Why can't they say why?

We've noted that this whole trial could be a ruse to gain leverage on Nicodemo, which would mean the end of the line for one mob boss. Recall that Nicodemo has been identified as a suspect in the 2003 murder of John "Johnny Gongs" Casasanto....Law enforcement sources have said that Nicodemo could work a deal using his supposed information regarding the Casasanto murder and other acts of violence that authorities believe are linked to Joseph "Uncle Joe" Ligambi and his top associates.

The Casasanto shooting is one of three major unsolved murders that occurred during Ligambi’s reign. The other two are the hits on Ronnie Turchi in 1999 and Raymond “Long John” Martorano in 2002.

Authorities reportedly have the names of people connected to these shootings, as well as scraps of information that could be used "to build cases," as George Anastasia wrote.

The timing is interesting, as we noted up top, because the prosecution rested yesterday, which means the defense knows precisely where it stood, what it was up against. It had eyes on the jury to see their reaction to each tickle in the prosecution's presentation, which included hard evidence, the gun used to kill the victim was found here, this burn phone was used to call another burn found just around the time of the murder, and was found here.

With all that evidence it seems to difficult to believe the jury would reach a verdict of not-guilty, though the fact that prosecutors could offer no motive also means this could be the perfect setup for a mistrial.

Without putting too fine a point to this, if Nicodemo were to flip, odds are he'd get a better deal now than if he loses the trial. That's just plain common sense, isn't it?

A status hearing to determine the date of a new trial is scheduled for July, the DA's office said, noting that the gag order implemented earlier remains in effect.

Nicodemo was on trial for the murder of Gino DiPietro, 50, back in 2012 in South Philadelphia while the second trial of Joseph "Uncle Joe" Ligambi was under way; that trial ended in a mistrial. The reputed boss of the Philadelphia Mafia was released.

According to reports, two jurors were dismissed for undisclosed reasons.

Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge Jeffrey P. Minehart, who barred mention of the mob during the trial because there was no evidence that DiPietro's murder was mob-related, spent the morning in chambers with prosecution and defense lawyers, as well as several detectives, before bringing the remaining jurors into court at 11:40 a.m.

"We cannot proceed," the judge said. The 11 jurors were dismissed; Minehart ordered everyone else to remain in the courtroom until further notice.

Philly.com reported that Court rules allow a criminal jury to continue with 11 jurors but only with the agreement of both sides. Assistant District Attorney Brian Zarallo and defense attorney Brian J. McMonagle both did not comment.

One person familiar with the inquiry told Philly.com that at least one juror would be questioned by police detectives.

The defense was to begin this morning when "it quickly became obvious a serious problem had developed."

In addition: "Security was heavy: nine deputies flanked both side walls of the courtroom. After the jurors left, everyone remained in place for 30 minutes.

"Nicodemo, 42, remained at the defense table with McMonagle and co-counsel Frank C. DePasquale Jr. while Zarallo sat by himself at the prosecution table and about 75 spectators sat in the gallery."

Nicodemo was arrested when 357 magnum revolver wrapped in clothing was found behind the driver's seat of his SUV. Ballistics tests tied the revolver to the bullets fired into DiPietro,

At the time of the shooting, several sources said DiPietro was suspected of cooperating with authorities in an ongoing narcotics investigation; this could be related to the motive, either the suspicion or the fact he was cooperating.

Comments

  1. Rumor is he.s ready to talk to the feds with alot more police present and probably time to relocate wife and kids in wittness protection.

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  2. Uncle Joe see.s the writing on the wall
    Anthony staino Stevie mazzone lancelotti Damien conalichio Billy Motto who.s a top earner for the mob no button yet. Were close with Nicodemo a couple did hits wit him sold drugs and ran gambling also the Ronny the wig Galati Ins fraud case involves uncle Joes whole family which makes any 10 or more yrs sentence for him a death sentence .also Nicky Scarfo Sr guys are oit will win top spots
    by default when Joey and uncle Joes remaining guys go to jail.?

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  3. Again, I accidentally deleted a comment about whether I know Anastasia. I don't. My information about a heavy presence of officers in the courtroom came from the Philly.com link. Sorry partner! Sign up for my newsletter, putting together some interesting stuff. Thanks.

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    1. Its not far off though something else other than the juror stuff is going on with that presence of cops something was up any way great articles ed as always and yes i
      do post anonymous as ur boy funz says dont need the back and forth. Though that doesnt happen much on here.

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    2. What do you think is going on? I am curious. How old is Nicodemo? 40? He's gonna do 30 years? No way, he's gonna roll if found guilty. The cops don't care about low level street guys. They want a headline that says "Mob Boss Indicted for Ordering Gangland Hit(s)" -- taking out the clever bosses like Ligambi is their strategy for dismantling Cosa Nostra in the U.S. I take it you're from Philly. Unless there's a dynamic going on there I don't know about, Nicodemo wouldn't roll like they wanted him to, so he's going through this ridiculous farce of a trial that can only end in a guilty verdict or a mistrial. The question is, does Nicodemo really have the goods on Uncle Joe? Why did he participate in a hit, which Ligambi could not have approved cause his ass was in court. In New York they've outlawed killing; no more sanctioned hits. Murders never go away and in gangland especially.

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    3. Maybe im reaching hear the last 2 trials they put federal wittnesses up therr nobody believed
      This is a state case being watched closely by the feds in the common wealth. If he was about to take that stand and told that story and lost his credibility for them isnt good any more by having a mistrial maybe they feel it gives him more time to think or a deal is being made as we speak . He does have the goods on two hits may be more .who relayed the orders is a question may be im reaching but Anthony Staino also has a hand in this and there lies the squeeze play he turns they dont need nicodemo i think nicodemo is 40 something staino i think is 55 or57

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  4. Would be nice to see the Gardner art surface, if only the immunity deal was cast iron and the $5 million reward offer was for real, or at least confirmed.

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  5. I am not sure about Philly, however; in a N.Y.State Case you are eligible for parole after 1/3 of your time, so if he rolled the dice and he wins the case he comes out "POWERFUL" def going to be made "CAPO" and should inherit some nice rackets especially with the current vacum that exists. If he loses he was just the get away driver his sentence I am guessing would be 30 year sentence and can get out in 10, because he is O.C. he will not get parole first time around he gets out in 15.

    If he does that and comes home he still becomes more powerful and is elevated to "CAPO" for being a man and keeping his mouth shut.

    Now the defense essentially gets a "DO OVER" they now know the state's whole case, if his attorney's are worth anything they can now prepare a defense SPECIFICALLY based on the State's evidence (THAT IS HUGE, THE STATE HAS SHOWED THEIR HAND IN A GAME OF POKER. They are as we speak designing a defense to destroy and witnesses against Nicodemo. Right now the defense is "WINNING" going into this they wanted one of three outcomes that would be considered a "VICTORY" 1) Acquittal 2) Hung Jury 3) Mis-Trial. A Mis-Trail with out the State seeing their (The defense's) cards is better than just a Mis-Trial. He Nicodemo has a better shot of beating the case today then he did first time around because of the above.

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    1. Thank u for laying that out he does have one problem if he beats this case Boss BOY GEORGE BORGESI and others are not to happy with what he did this had nothing to do with the mob he mighta been free lancing in the drug busdiness backing Gino Dipietro and there lies the problem will soon see.

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  6. Well its looking like it might be fall before a new trial starts he.s saying and thinks the jury might convict so he.s getting ready to do his 30 yrs so his close friends say we.ll see

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  7. OK -- let's see who knows their stuff. The guy found naked in the trunk - white bag over his head, into which two shots already had been fired, hands and feet tied. Why was he killed?? I finally found what Natale said about the hit. Its bizarre! Who knows what I mean??

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    1. Ok Ralph did a hit on a roofer I'm not sure of his name they foundh his body in the trunk at Graziano's restaurant in the late 60's early 70's ralph said he was Angelo Bruno's pitbull when Angelo bark Ralph bit it was a little before my time the other hit was Ron turchi in So philly he was believed murderd by Roger vella Boy George Borgesi and nicodemo not sure about Boy George

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  8. The reason for the roofer he was giving angelo a hard time in the union
    As for Ron he was just a hardheaded jerkoff who either started wearing a wire or it was to send someone a message

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    1. Don't know about other stuff, but I meant Ronald Turchi. Natale flipped shortly before the Turchi slaying -- which was thought to be retaliation for that....

      "However, on the stand in February 2001, Natale said that Turchi was killed for trying to pull a bizarre move: He had paid $10,000 to a high-ranking Gambino to "buy" the position of Philadelphia mob boss."

      Anyone ever hear that as the given motive?

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    2. It could be true he was ralphs #3 and before Ralph went to Jail he was demoted but they were the two guys in the trunk anything was posdible at that time Joey was in philly Ralph was in Jersey both were doing there own thing u see how that turned out lol!

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  9. Also when Ralph testified the jurors said he could.ve stayed home nobody believed him the tapes were the conviction in that trial and also the Big guy sold it.

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