According to sources on the street and in law enforcement, Philadelphia mafia figure Domenic (Baby Dom) Grande was upped to “acting” captain status some time in the last two years. The 38-year old Grande is considered a fierce up-and-comer in South Philly mob circles and is serving as caretaker of Michael (Mikey Lance) Lancellotti’s crew, while Lancellotti is helping with the day-to-day maintenance of the Bruno-Scarfo crime family as a whole, per these sources. Gangster Report was the first to detail Lancellotti’s increased administrative role in the local mafia two years ago. There’s rampant speculation that Baby Dom Grande is one of the unnamed capos referenced in the wiretapped conversations recently unveiled as part of a pair of federal indictments out of New Jersey charging two made members of the Philly mob with narcotics offenses. One of those indicted was Sammy Piccolo, Grande’s uncle. Mikey Lance (2nd from left) & Baby Dom (2nd from right) Baby Dom comes from a rich gangland pedigree and has a number of veteran Bruno-Scarfo button men vouching for him on the street. His dad is Salvatore (Wayne) Grande, a 1980s era mob hit man currently residing in the Witness Protection Program. His grandfather was longtime Philly underworld figure John (Coo Coo) Grande. His ascent in the Bruno-Scarfo family has been overseen by the syndicate’s reputed underboss Steven (Handsome Stevie) Mazzone, who refers to Grande as his “nephew,” even though he’s just Grande’s aunt’s brother-in-law. Back in 2015, Grande accompanied Lancellotti and Philly mafia don Joseph (Skinny Joey) Merlino to a Christmas party in New York hosted by the Genovese crime family, demonstrating that his star was definitely on the rise. In 2011, an FBI informant was wearing a wire at a lunch meeting between Philly mob leaders and Gambino crime family members where Philly’s then-acting boss Joseph (Uncle Joe) Ligambi spoke of Grande’s popularity amongst the rank-and-file, saying “they love that kid,” when talking about his getting inducted into the mafia at such a young age. Authorities suspect Grande of being the triggerman in the December 2012 gangland slaying of Gino DiPietro, a Philadelphia mob associate and convicted drug pusher. DiPietro had cooperated with the government in a prior narcotics case that ensnared his own cousin and had gotten into a verbal spat with Grande’s best friend, Philly mafia soldier Anthony Nicodemo, in the months before his murder. Nicodemo pled guilty to participating in Nicodemo’s murder conspiracy and is in state prison. Despite his suspected involvement, Grande has never faced any charges connected to the homicide. Grande and Mikey Lancellotti were indicted together in a bookmaking case out of Atlantic City in 2007. While Lancellotti had the case against him dropped, Grande pled guilty. Lancellotti was alleged to be running a large sports book inside The Borgata Hotel & Casino using Grande and Nicodemo as his point men.
