More than a year after an early morning raid on the home of a local Wiseguy’s father in South Philly, federal prosecutors sent out letters in the last few weeks to some connected guys and others informing them that they had been caught on federal wiretaps with some of the participants in an alleged gambling/loansharking operation.
Search warrants were executed by state investigators and FBI Agents at the Iseminger Street home of jailed murderer and Philly Mob Captain Anthony Nicodemo’s father last year. Nicodemo Sr. passed away last Fall.
Many thought the passing of Nicodemo Sr. would signal an end to the investigation. No charges have ever been filed. Authorities have not commented on their investigation. An attorney for Anthony Nicodemo declined comment.
It is routine and required by law that federal authorities inform anyone not deemed to be a target to be notified within a certain period of time that their voice had been captured on recordings, even if those conversations were completely innocent and unrelated to the investigation.
But sources say letters received by several “customers” of the alleged loansharking operation indicated that their voices had been picked up on several cell phones connected to the investigation. Those wiretap intercepts, according to sources, took place in 2020.
Sources say one of the cell phones belonged to indicted Philly Mob Captain Domenic Grande, a close friend of Anthony Nicodemo. Grande is scheduled for a change of plea hearing May 25th on federal drug and racketeering conspiracy charges from 2021. He is expected to plead guilty to the main charges and could face a sentence of seven years, according to sources close to Grande.
Federal officials would not comment on whether the investigation was linked to Anthony Nicodemo, who is serving 25 to 50 years in the mob style murder of Gino DiPietro back in December 2012. He has been jailed ever since.
Authorities have unsuccessfully spent years now trying to link Grande to the DiPietro hit, but no charges have ever been filed. The case remains open.
When the raid on Nicodemo’s father’s home took place, federal authorities did confirm they carried out “court authorized law enforcement activities” at the house. As neighbors looked on, state and federal investigators carried out boxes of evidence, computers and other items during the morning-long search.
Sources confirmed that authorities were looking for evidence of loansharking and gambling activity linked to the Philly Mob.
After a mistrial in his first murder trial in 2014, Nicodemo, described by most as an up-and-coming wiseguy, decided to plead guilty in February 2015 to third degree murder, conspiracy and weapons charges. He has already spent 10 years in state prison, most recently the state’s new correctional institution at Phoenix in Montgomery County just a short drive from South Philly where his family still lives.
Federal authorities continue to investigate the murder of DiPietro and the motive behind the killing.
Nicodemo was arrested immediately following the hit after investigators say he dropped off the masked gunman in South Philadelphia and continued on to his house on 17th Street in Packer Park. An alert eyewitness had given police a description of the getaway vehicle and the tag. Police tracked it to Nicodemo’s home
The 46 year old made member was arrested inside his home. Homicide investigators found the weapon used in the murder wrapped in a sweatshirt in the rear of Nicodemo’s own SUV. His arrival at the home moments after the murder was captured on multiple security cameras belonging to his neighbors in the rear alley behind the house.
Detectives did recover DNA and fingerprints from the SUV, but have never arrested the shooter. Nicodemo admitted to being the driver in the murder, which occurred less than 2 miles from his home.
The defense tried to claim originally that Nicodemo had been carjacked by the killers and was simply returning home after the ordeal when he was arrested.
Again, no charges have been filed in the gambling, loansharking probe. Authorities have refused to comment.
