The Mob Hit That Wasn't: Nicodemo Retrial Pushed Into 2015

Anthony Nicodemo's retrial slated
for next year.

Anthony Nicodemo's retrial for his alleged participation as the wheelman in the 2012 slaying of Gino DiPietro in South Philadelphia has been pushed to next year.

At a status conference hearing late last week, Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge Jeffrey P. Minehart scheduled a new pretrial conference for Dec. 1, but no specific date was determined for the retrial resulting from the first trial's termination on May 20.

Assistant District Attorney Brian Zarallo said there is an ongoing investigation into possible jury tampering.

No one has yet been charged, however.

DiPietro, 50, was gunned down shortly before 3 p.m. Dec. 12, 2012, as he stood by his pickup truck in the 2800 block of South Iseminger Street.



Although DiPietro did time in prison for drug and gun violations, his family denied he had any connections to the mob. Furthermore, authorities have never alleged that he was a member of South Philadelphia's La Cosa Nostra crime family.

In addition to the murder for which he currently faces charges, Nicodemo has been identified as a suspect in the 2003 murder of John "Johnny Gongs" Casasanto. Law enforcement sources have said that the young mob soldier could work out a deal using his supposed information regarding the Casasanto murder and other acts of violence, including two additional murders said to be linked to Joseph "Uncle Joe" Ligambi and his top associates.

In a recent story, we took a look at the three murder victims--the list also includes Ronnie Turchi and Raymond “Long John” Martorano--said to have been whacked under Uncle Joe's orders.

Uncle Joe, as we have noted, is one of the more successful modern bosses. He is credited with cooling down the Philly underworld following decades of unrest. Departing jail after two of his own two mistrials, Ligambi started talking about retirement.