Hit plot trial begins in Camden

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Friends describe Ronald Galati as infatuated with the gangster lifestyle. His garage in So. Phila. first attracted officials´ attention as a place where wiseguys could get jobs after prison.
Friends describe Ronald Galati as infatuated with the gangster lifestyle. His garage in So. Phila. first attracted officials' attention as a place where wiseguys could get jobs after prison. David Swanson/Staff/American Collision photo

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JULIA TERRUSO, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
LAST UPDATED: Tuesday, September 16, 2014, 1:50 PM
POSTED: Tuesday, September 16, 2014, 9:33 AM


The trial opened today in the case of Ronald Galati, a South Philadelphia auto shop owner and alleged mob hanger-on charged with orchestrating a hit on his daughter's boyfriend.

Galati, 64, faces 15 years in prison if convicted of the attempted murder and conspiracy charges in U.S. District Court in Camden.

Andrew Tuono was shot three times in Atlantic City in November, 2013, as his then-girlfriend, Tiffany Galati, stood by his side, but survived the attack.

In his opening remarks, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Richardson called it a "simple case."
"He wanted Mr. Tuono dead and he hired ... hit men to do it," the prosecutor said.

Richardson said the hit men, who have pleaded guilty, are expected to testify against Galati and will say they were promised $20,000 each to kill Tuono.

Defense attorney Anthony Voci told the jury that no physical evidence ties Galati to the shooting.

The first witness called by the prosecution was Atlantic City Police Officer Matthew Rogers who testified that 10 seconds after he heard shots he saw two males running toward his police cruiser on Carson Avenue.

Rogers said he drew his gun and ordered the men to stop but they blew past him. He ran after them and caught up with the heftier of the two, Ronald Walker.

Within the next 15 minutes, Walker would name the second fleeing suspect and explain what was going on: that they'd been hired by Galati to shoot Tuono, the officer said.

Richardson earlier described Tuono, 35, and Galati, 64, as friends until Tuono started dating his daughter.

The would-be assassins had tried to corner Tuono elsewhere to no avail, Richardson said.

Then on Nov. 30, 2013 Galati told the men "The boat is on the other side," meaning Tuono was at his Atlantic City residence. The hit men drove to Atlantic City with a .25-caliber semiautomatic pistol, Richardson said.

Their only instructions were to kill Tuono and if there was a woman with him, to leave her unharmed, Richardson said.

Defense attorney Voci called the shooter, Walker, a liar, who misled police from the beginning, including about who actually shot Tuono and where the gun was.

"The government is going all in on words," Voci said in his opening.

Voci hinted Tuono had other problems and is expected to argue Tuono was targeted over gambling debts and drugs.

Four of Galati's family members, including a cousin and his daughter-in-law, attended the first day of the trial.

Galati, who has been in custody since his April indictment, wore a white dress shirt and took occasional puffs from an inhaler during the testimony.

This is one of three cases currently pending against Galati. He is also facing murder for hire charges in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court and is charged with a large-scale auto insurance fraud scheme in federal court in Philadelphia.

The murder-for-hire charges in Philadelphia involve the same two alleged hit men as in the Tuono case. In that case, prosecutors say the men were after an auto shop owner and his son who were Galati rivals, but never went through with the plan after the shop closed.

Walker was expected to take the stand Tuesday afternoon.

Follow @JuliaTerruso on Twitter for updates from the trial.


Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaki...efKpyTiY5AKc.99