Hey Dante- Salvatore 'Sam' Piccolo is Anthony Tony Buck Piccolo's newphew and Sam Piccolo wasn't married to a Grande. His sister was married to Wayne Grande back in the 80's. Sam's sister's name was Rita Piccolo Grande at the time and then when Wayne Grande flipped in like '96 she got divorced from Wayne immediately. She comes from a real deal mob family she doesn't put up with rats. Rita Grande (she's remarried since and is Rita Marrone now), along with her two kids (Dominic and Lea) all disowned Wayne after he ratted out Rita's brother who is one of the guy's who got caught in this drug case. Coincidently, Sam Piccolo's other drug conviction was the reason that Wayne Grande flipped. Basically, long story short, Wayne was trying to move some cocaine with two other NYC mobsters while he was locked up post-Scarfo trial convictions and Wayne along with these two other NY mobsters he was serving time with at Leavenworth found a cocaine connection via another prisoner in Leavenworth who ended up being a Fed informant who was just trying to setup other prisoners to get favorable treatment or time off his sentence. Sam Piccolo was Wayne's brother in law and a Mob Associate from the Scarfo days and was with Wayne. Wayne got Sam Piccolo to be his guy on the outside to orchestrate the deal from him and do all the exchanges. After finding out that the connection he was dealing with was a Fed informant, he flipped and ratted his cousin out to the Feds and basically set him up so Sam Piccolo ends up going through with the deal with Wayne knowing the whole time that he's just meeting Feds instead of a true drug/Cocaine deal. Sam also had a gun so a got a weapons charge as well. Anyways, that's why Wayne flipped, Sam Piccolo got his first drug charge, and Rita Piccolo Grande divorced and disowned Wayne Grande.

That said, the whole family (Piccolos and Grandes) all disowned Wayne Grande, but still get along with each other. Joe Grande is up in North Jersey with the Licata Crew in Newark/N. Jersey so my guess is that Joe Grande still kept in touch with Sam and remained close friends/sort of family (I know the kids Dom and Lea and ex-sister-in-law Rita all kept in touch with Joe Grande while he was in prison and definitely re-connected with Joe Grande once he got out of prison a couple of years ago). I have more info around all that if anyone cares. But again, my guess is that Joe Grande got Sam Piccolo back under him despite Joe being in North Jersey and Sam being in Philly and Sam was probably doing these drug deals under the auspices and approval of Joe Grande, which is also kind of ironic being that Wayne Grande (Joe Grande's brother got Sam Pic in trouble with drugs the first time... granted Joe Grande isn't going to flip unlike his brother Wayne). Joe Grande, who has a house in S. Jersey, probably connected with Joey Electric Servidio since he's been up in Newark in the North Jersey and then connected Joey Electric with his ex-brother-in-law Sam Piccolo who in turn got this all in the works down in AC and South Jersey and vice verse, etc.

I knew Sam Pic ran around, but didn't realize he is/was a Made Guy as it has been mentioned in these threads - interesting.

Big stuff... this is how it all starts so should be interesting between this and Merlino's potential re-trial. Good time to be a criminal defense/Mob Lawyer these days! Also, really curious who the Made Guy Rat is? I would be absolutely SHOCKED if it was Lou Fizzini who was Licata's Acting Capo and who has been slated as the de-facto Capo to take over the North Jersey Crew once Licata retires. Anyways, that's enough of a rant from me. Great thread so far!