As high ranking Philadelphia mafia members Joseph “Uncle Joe” Ligambi and Anthony Staino head for their retrial they may do it with new lawyers.
Lawyers for both reputed acting Philly mafia boss Ligambi and capo Staino have been informed that families of both mobsters are currently attempting to gather the funds needed to pay for their retrial. Seems like the cost of the first trial may have broken the Philly mob! Third Philly mobsters in the case George Borgesi has already switched lawyers as of the latest status hearing. Judge Eduardo Robreno asked both lawyers involved to let the court know by the end of the month as to their status, but with or with out them the retrial remains on schedule and will begin in October.
“Joseph Ligambi”
If Ligambi and Staino declare that they are unable to afford lawyers the Judge can then have lawyers appointed to them. The last trial took ten weeks but the feds claim they expect the retrial to only take between five and six weeks mainly because fewer defendants are involved. The jury in last trial reached not guilty verdicts on 46 charges and were hung on 11 other charges involving the current retrial defendants. Four defendants were found guilty during the first trial which included Damion Canalichio , Joseph “Mousie” Massimino , Anthony Staino , and Gary Battagini. Staino was found guilty on two counts of extortion and now faces retrial for a racketeering conspiracy charge. Ligambi is being retried on gambling and racketeering conspiracy charges and Borgesi on a single racketeering conspiracy charge.
While the retrial date approaches Philadelphia authorities are working on the mob murder case involving Anthony Nicodemo. Nicodemo is a reputed soldier in the Philadelphia crime family and was arrested in December for the mob hit on Gino DiPietro in South Philadelphia. He was formally indicted on first degree murder charges , weapons charges, and conspiracy earlier this week. Now the question is will Nicodemo cut a deal to save himself and turn rat on his fellow Philly mobsters. Authorities believe he could supply information on a couple of still unsolved mafia murders that likely involved other Philly mobsters including Ligambi.
