The FBI in Philadelphia tried to turn up the heat two years ago in the December 12, 2012 gangland style murder of Gino DiPietro in South Philadelphia, but there’s still no new arrests in the case.
In December 2020 Federal agents posted new photos and a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the shooter who got away after the mid-afternoon murder of the 50 year old DiPietro.
DiPietro was gunned down just before 3 p.m. as he exited his car outside his home on Iseminger Street near Johnston in South Philadelphia.
The FBI released new photos of the hoodie-wearing gunman, dressed in black, as he made his escape on foot to a waiting car nearby. A photo of the Honda Pilot getaway SUV was also posted.
Philly Mob Soldier Anthony Nicodemo, a close confidant to Mob Boss Joey Merlino and retired Mob Boss Joe “The Uncle” Ligambi, was arrested moments after the poorly planned murder.
Sources say Nicodemo allegedly dropped off the shooter on Sydenham Street in South Philadelphia, then drove the getaway SUV to his home on nearby 17th Street in Packer Park where neighbors’ surveillance cameras picked him up exiting the car and fleeing into his own home. Police arrived moments later and arrested him.
Police later found the murder weapon and other evidence in Nicodemo’s car. The shooter was never charged, although police and the FBI seemed to know the identity of the gunman, his name was even mentioned in court proceedings during Nicodemo’s trial.
Nicodemo, now 51 years old, plead guilty after a mistrial to charges of driving the getaway car. He’s now serving 25-50 years in a state prison in Montgomery County.
Federal authorities have been tracking this case from day one, trying to determine if this was a mob related hit or a murder with other motives.
Nicodemo, who’s already served 10 years on the state murder charges, was moved several years ago to the Phoenix State Correctional Institution in Montgomery County, 30 minutes outside Philadelphia.
He has refused to cooperate with state and federal authorities.
No one else has ever been charged in the DiPietro murder, but the photos of the gunman making good his escape and the reward were expected to shake things up in South Philadelphia’s mob circles, but again there’s still no further arrests.
Several of Nicodemo’s South Philly Mob running mates, including his close friend Domenic Grande, will soon be headed to prison on unrelated federal racketeering charges stemming from a November 2020 federal indictment.
Grande, one time Mob Underboss Steve Mazzone and his brother, Mob Soldier Sonny Mazzone, plead guilty to racketeeering charges in recent months.
Grande was sentenced to 78 months behind bars. Sonny Mazzone was sentenced to 24 months in prison and Steve Mazzone faces 45-60 months in federal prison when he’s sentenced this Thursday, December 15th.
Nicodemo, Grande, and the Mazzone’s all lived in the same Packer Park neighborhood at one time.
