Richard Leidy

By Jillian Pikora From Daily Voice

A 26-year-old cold case has been cracked with the arrest of a South Philadelphia man accused of gunning down Guerino “Gino” Marconi outside his home in 1999, court documents say.

Richard Leidy, 60, was arrested at his Girard Estates home on Monday, Aug. 25, and charged with murder, attempted murder, and multiple related offenses, according to Philadelphia court records.

On Saturday, April 10, 1999, Guerino “Gino” Marconi Sr., 42, an auto body shop owner and reputed low-level mob associate, was ambushed outside his house on the 2400 block of South 20th Street. His longtime girlfriend, Patricia Miley, 31, was shot in the chest and neck but survived and was later discharged from Jefferson University Hospital.

Marconi was hit three times and died the following morning. Investigators said the gunman waited days in a stolen van, slowly moving it into position before the attack. After opening fire with a .22-caliber rifle, the shooter torched the vehicle and weapon across the street, igniting several nearby cars in an effort to destroy evidence.

At the time, police identified Marconi as an associate of reputed Philadelphia mob boss Joseph “Skinny Joey” Merlino. The killing, described as mob-style, left investigators chasing leads for decades without an arrest.

Leidy lived just a block away from the murder scene. In a twist, he even spoke to FOX 29 reporters days after the killing when detectives were probing whether a robbery at his home two months earlier was connected. “I’m concerned for my family’s safety, sure,” Leidy said in a 1999 interview. You can watch the interview in the video player in the post of X, formerly Twitter, below:

His name surfaced early in the investigation, Deputy Police Commissioner Frank Vanore recalled, but there wasn’t enough evidence at the time to bring charges. Court filings remain sealed, and officials have not revealed what evidence ties Leidy to the crime. Vanore credited a partnership between Philadelphia homicide detectives, the FBI, and the District Attorney’s Office for the breakthrough.

Leidy is charged with murder, attempted murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm, possession of an instrument of crime, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 15, 2025 — his 61st birthday.