By George Anastasia
For Bigtrial.net

Wannabe wiseguy Ron Galati was convicted of murder-for-hire and conspiracy charges today in a case that offered a look into a bizarre and twisted South Philadelphia family dynamic.

A federal jury deliberated for about five hours over two days before returning guilty verdicts on all four charges Galati faced. No date has been set for sentencing, but the 64-year-old auto body shop owner is looking at 20 years or more at the top end of federal sentencing guidelines.

With a prior conviction for insurance fraud and with two other cases pending in Common Pleas Court in Philadelphia, Galati could very well spend the rest of his life in prison.

"We're not surprised, but we're disappointed," said Anthony Voci Jr., Galati's defense attorney. Voci said Galati took the verdict well. But members of his family were "devastated," according to Galati's twin sister Renee.

"I can't believe it," she said through tears. "This is something my brother is not capable of."

The jury of 10 women and two men, after hearing five days of testimony, thought otherwise. The verdict was an endorsement of the prosecution case presented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Richardson and a clear rejection of an alternative motive offered by Voci during an impassioned defense and closing argument.

Galati was convicted of hiring hitmen to kill the boyfriend of his estranged daughter Tiffany.

The boyfriend, Andrew Tuono, 35, was shot as he and Tiffany left their Atlantic City townhouse on Nov. 30 of last year. Tuono survived the assault. He was one of several witnesses called by the prosecution.

While Galati liked to play the role of The Godfather and frequently quoted lines from famous gangster movies, the plot he was convicted of setting in motion was strictly a grade-B operation.

Ronald Walker, the admitted shooter, was arrested within minutes of the assault. Alvin Matthews, his accomplice, was picked up a few minutes later. Both quickly told authorities Galati had hired them to kill Tuono. Walker said he was promised $20,000.

A third conspirator, Galati's long-time friend Jerome Johnson, began cooperating in July after he was indicted along with Galati on the murder-for-hire, conspiracy and weapons offenses.

Johnson, Walker and Matthews all testified for the prosecution.

Galati wanted Tuono dead, they said. The motive? Tiffany Galati had moved in with Tuono, a one-time friend of Galati's.

Galati was described by Richardson as an overly possessive father who sometimes called his grown daughter a dozen times a day. He was said to detest Tuono who he believed had taken his daughter away from the family.

Both Tiffany Galati and Tuono testified for the government, laying bare details of the estrangement and the internal bickering and backbiting that sounded like a bitter and bloody version of Family Feud.

Voci portrayed Tiffany as a spoiled and spiteful South Philadelphia princess who chose her drug-dealing boyfriend over her family. But Voci also argued that Tiffanylater conspired to have Tuono killed. The story offered another level of drama to the soap opera-like case, but apparently carried little weight with the jury.

The defense attorney told the jury there was no physical evidence tying his client to the crime and that the prosecution's case was built around the "say so" of convicted criminals (Johnson, Matthews and Walker) who lied on the stand.

"We had an uphill battle," Voci said after the verdicts were announced. "Any time you have a conspiracy case and three of the alleged conspirators are testifying against you, you have problems."

Voci said he and Galati were heartened when the jury sent a note to Judge Joseph Rodriguez late this morning, after about three total hours of deliberation, announcing that it was deadlocked. Rodriguez urged the panel to continue, and shortly after 1 p.m. another note was sent out announcing the panel had a verdict.

The supposition, Voci said, was that one or two members of the jury had at first held out, but were later convinced to vote for convictions.

Voci declined to discuss the cases pending against Galati in Philadelphia. Galati is charged in a second murder-for-hire case involving the same three hitmen. And he is also facing insurance fraud charges along with his wife, son and 30 other co-defendants.

There are those who believe Galati will throw in the towel on those cases and try to work out plea deals so that he can served concurrent sentences and do his time in a federal prison. They also speculate that part of a plea would involve leniency for his wife and son.

Rumors that Galati might try to cut a deal and cooperate appear to be based on idle speculation.

While Galati has been an associate of several major mob figures, including crime bosses Joseph "Skinny Joey" Merlino and Joe Ligambi, sources say he doesn't know enough to implicate them in any serious criminal activity.

One of Ligambi's sons has been charged in the insurance fraud case and authorities have said that Galati routinely made payments to Ligambi and his nephew, mobster George Borgesi. But there has been no evidence to back up those allegations and sources familiar with the situation say federal authorities were unlikely to bring another case against Merlino, Ligambi or Borgesi unless the case involved murder charges.

There are three unsolved gangland murders, the slayings of Raymond "Long John" Martorano, John "Johnny Gongs" Casasanto and Ronnie Turchi, that federal authorities would like to lay on the doorsteps of Ligambi and Merlino, but to date, there has not been enough evidence to make a case in any of those hits.

The attempt on Tuono was not mob-related, but a personal matter, according to the testimony and evidence. In fact, the prosecution was barred from making any reference to organized crime and Galati's suspected mob ties.

As it turned out, those connections weren't necessary to win a conviction.

Members of Galati family say they are at a loss to understand the jury's decision.

"There were so many discrepancies," said Galati's twin sister Renee in a telephone interview this afternoon. "We thought there was reasonable doubt."

"I'm in a fog," she added. "This is my twin. I feel like I lost a limb."

She said the entire family was devastated by the jury verdict, noting that Galati and his wife Vicky marked their 40th wedding anniversary today.

"Vicky's lost a husband and she's lost a daughter," Renee said. "I know in my heart my brother didn't do this. It's just so twisted."

Tiffany Galati, she said, drifted away from the family when she began dating Tuono who Galati and his family believed was a drug dealer. Tuono was "40 miles of bad road," she said. "But Tiffany didn't see it. She alienated everybody in the family."

And ultimately, based on the jury verdict announced today, she helped the prosecution send her father to prison for what could amount to the rest of his life.

George Anastasia can be reached at George@bigtrial.net.

No way the Judge goes outside the guidelines in a murder-for-hire case where the defendant was a convicted felon to begin with. He's gonna get twenty plus years. Guaranteed. Unless he has something to trade .

And I just used that winky smiley because I like it. I obviously have no idea if this guy is capable of ratting, or if he even has anything to trade.

I didnt realize how crazy this story really was

He has another murder for hire trial coming up plus some federal fraud charges....nite nite

What's the adavantage for the government to accept a plea deal on the upcoming fraud and murder for hire #2 charges? Obviously it's a speedy trial and gets him out of the system quicker, with a concurrent sentencing; saves taxpayer dollars.

But, if they want other players in Philly, why would they even consider helping this guy? Why wouldn't they lean on him and scare the shit out of him. Squeeze anything they can out of him. Fuck him, let him rot. Tough guy.

He rats or he dies in jail. There's no middle ground on this one.

Thanks PB. That's how I see it too. I thought I missed something.

No problem, Nicky. And you know me. I'm a Bronx guy. I don't know anything about your town except what you guys tell me and what I read in the papers and online. But it was blatantly obvious that this was going to be a slam dunk for the prosecution.

Oh, and the same applies to Nicodemo. He's fucking doomed. He rats or he dies in jail. No middle ground there, either. And again, I don't know him from a hole in the wall. Maybe he'll stand tall. But if he does stand tall, he's coming out of prison feet first in about forty years.

Right on. And even though I am down here, I won't speculate on what Nicodemo will do.

But, (and I said this in another thread on here) if he rolls, it's gonna be very, very bad for most of the guys who have been around with him. 3 unsolved LCN-related murders since 2000. He will have no choice but to come clean if he deals.

Yeah, you can't "selectively" rat anymore. The Feds let Sammy Gravano hold back a few things that would have hurt a few guys in his old Tali's crew (not that that absolves him for being a stoolie), and it came back to bite them in the ass.

Nowadays, if you hold something back and the Feds find out---and they WILL find out---it will negate your plea bargain and you risk being re-sentenced.

PB do you know on wich guys he didn't rat on?I think big louie was one of them,right?

Louie and Huck. I heard he held back a little about Eddie Garafola, too. Which is really ironic because Eddie's doing thirty years right now for conspiring to kill him.

Oh ok,eddie was married to his sister i think,but am not sure.thanks PB

Do any of u guys read the comment section on BigTrial.net? Its a circus...Im pleased to add the comment section on here isnt full of 'anonymous' bullies taking cheap shots at the Galati family!

about six murders..plus everything else..gravano left out many guys on many different crimes..he had a five year deal to make cases..thats the rumor..

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2014

Galati's Lawyer Bows Out
By George Anastasia
For Bigtrial.net

Wannabe wiseguy Ron Galati, the South Philadelphia auto body shop owner with a Godfather fixation, wants to keep fighting. But it looks like he'll have to do battle without the services of topnotch criminal defense attorney Anthony Voci Jr.

Voci has filed motions to withdraw as Galati's attorney in a pending murder-for-hire case and a massive insurance fraud conspiracy case. Both are listed for trial in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court.

"My client does not have sufficient funds to allow me to continue," Voci said in a brief comment today when asked about the withdrawal motions. Voci, a former Assistant District Attorney, represented Galati in another murder-for-hire case in federal court in Camden earlier this year.

In that case, Galati was convicted of hiring two hitmen to murder the boyfriend of his estranged daughter. The boyfriend survived the hit and was one of several key witnesses. The two hitmen, a third conspirator and Galati's daughter Tiffany also took the stand for the government.


Sentencing in that case is scheduled for Jan. 7. Voci said he remains the attorney of record there but indicated that Galati may decide to go in another direction. Galati, 62, faces a potential sentence of 20 to 30 years.

"He's looking at the rest of his life in prison," said one source familiar with the situation.

The two hitmen and their co-conspirator pleaded guilty in a cooperating agreement with federal authorities. They have also agreed to cooperate and testify for the District Attorney's Office in the pending murder-for-hire case.

In that case, Galati is accused to conspiring to have two rival auto body shop owners, a father and son, killed because he believed -- correctly as it turned out -- that they were cooperating with state and city investigators in an insurance fraud case in which he was targeted.

Galati, who served 37 months for fraud charges in a similar insurance scam in the mid 1990s, was accused of orchestrating a multi-million dollar ripoff of insurance companies, using phony reports of accidents and inflated charges to line his pockets and to kick back cash to customers whose cars were damaged.

Galati formerly owned American Collision, a South Philadelphia auto body shop that his son, Ronald Jr., took over. But authorities allege the elder Galati remained in control of the company and orchestrated the scams that generated millions. Galati's wife, his son and two dozen others, including the son of mob boss Joseph Ligambi, were listed as co-defendants in the insurance scam which authorities alleged generated nearly $5 million.

Jailed since his arrest in the Philadelphia murder-for-hire case nearly two years ago, Galati has reportedly told associates that he had no intention of pleading guilty to any of the charges, labeling those who have testified against him and those who have given statement to authorities "liars."

That list, according to court documents, would include dozens of customers whose cars were damaged and who went along with Galati's alleged plan to fabricate insurance reports. One technique cited in the grand jury presentment handed up earlier this year involved fake reports of cars striking deer. Galati, according to the presentment, kept deer blood and hair in his auto body shop and took photos claiming that the damage to vehicles was the result of striking an animal.

That type of accident is a benefit to the owner of the vehicle since, in effect, it is a no fault event.

A source, citing the ongoing investigation, said investigators with the Pennsylvania State Police and the District Attorney's Office have statements from customers who described how Galati would fabricate information, take photos of staged events and inflate repair costs.

One example cited by a source was a customer whose car was damaged in a hit-and-run accident in New York City. When the customer brought the car to Galati, the source said, the accident report filed with the insurance company listed the cause as "struck by a deer." The customer told authorities, the source said, that the pictures of the damage to his car were more than the damage that had actually occurred, indicating that Galati had further damaged the car to inflate the repair and insurance costs.

The customer, the source said, received $3,000 from his insurance company.

At the time of his conviction in federal court in Camden, speculation was that Galati would plead out to the pending cases in Common Pleas Court, perhaps working out a deal that would spare his wife and son. But Galati has apparently nixed any talk of a deal and is now taking a hardline. Without the resources to hire an attorney, he may have to fight his remaining criminal battles with a court-appointed lawyer.

He has also told friends and associates that he has no intention of cooperating with authorities. His links to Ligambi and Ligambi's nephew, convicted mob capo George Borgesi, were mentioned in one pre-trial motion. But sources in both law enforcement and the underworld say Galati doesn't really know enough or have enough information to cut a deal.

What's more, those who know him say, it's doubtful he would make a credible witness. Instead, Galati has apparently decided to go out swinging, fighting all the charges and ripping all of those who have or who will take the stand against him, his daughter Tiffany included.

"He thinks he's doing the honorable thing," said a source. "He thinks he's being a standup guy. What that's going to get him is life in prison."

While the plot to have his daughter's then boyfriend, Andrew Tuono, killed unfolded as a soap opera, according to testimony in federal court in Camden, the pending charges in Common Pleas Court are more hard-edged.


Borrowing a line from The Godfather, one of the gangster movies that friends say Galati's loved, it was strictly business. Galati, authorities alleged, hired hitmen to killed Joseph Rao and his son, Joseph Jr., rival auto body shop owners who were cooperating in the insurance fraud investigation.

The Raos closed their business before the hits could be carried out, according to court documents.

George Anastasia can be reached at George@bigtrial.net.

POSTED BY GEORGE ANASTASIA AT 12:38 PM
TRIAL: GALATI MURDER FOR HIRE CASE

Read more at http://www.bigtrial.net/2014/12/galatis-lawyer-bows-out.html#QogSs8gKTs1s0DSo.99

I think huck tried to killem as well

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2014

Galati Asks For Court-Appointed Lawyer
By George Anastasia
For Bigtrial.net

Ron Galati's broke.

The South Philadelphia auto body shop owner accused to orchestrating a $5 million insurance fraud scam told a judge this morning that he does not have the money to pay for a lawyer in either of the two pending criminal trials he is facing in Common Pleas Court.

"Exactly right," Galati said when Judge Jeffrey Minehart asked during a brief hearing if he was requesting court-appointed representation because he could not afford a lawyer for either the insurance fraud conspiracy case or a murder-for-hire case in which he is also a defendant.

Assistant District Attorney Dawn Holtz said her office believes Galati can afford a lawyer.

"He may not be able to afford the best attorney in the land," Holtz said, but she said her office believes Galati has assets and that "the City of Philadelphia and the taxpayers of Philadelphia should not be paying" his legal bills.

Minehart set a Jan. 8 hearing date on the financial question. Holtz said he office would offer evidence showing that Galati can afford an attorney.

That hearing will come one day after Galati is scheduled to be sentenced in federal court in Camden for his conviction earlier this year in a separate murder-for-hire case. He is facing from 30 years to life.

Galati, 63, has been held without bail since his arrest over a year ago. Currently an inmate at the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility, he appeared in court today dressed in a green-and-white checked shirt and baggy slacks.

"It looks like something they got off the bottom of the clothes pile," Galati's son, Ron Jr., said as his father was led into the courtroom by an armed court marshal.

The younger Galati, who owns the body shop that authorities say was the nerve center for the insurance fraud scheme, said his father does not have any money and that the District Attorney's Office was continuing to target him by raising the financial issue.

"What do they want him to do, represent himself?" Galati Jr. asked before today's hearing began. "That would be a show."

Later, he said, "There's no money. There's no cash hidden under the floor boards. He's entitled to a lawyer. That's all he's asking for."

"We need to delve into his income and assets," Holtz said in brief comments to Minehart before the judge set the hearing date.

Galati told the judge he has a monthly Social Security stipend of $1,100 and that he also collects about $1,000-a-month rent on a vacant lot that he owns in South Philadelphia. Authorities have alleged that Galati cashed checks for more than $1 million while orchestrating the insurance scam.

The case involves nearly three dozen defendants, including Galati's wife and his son, Ron Jr.

"There is no money," Galati Jr. said again as he left the 11th floor courtroom. "Family members and friends lent us money for the last trial."

That trial ended with a federal jury finding Galati Sr. guilty of hiring two hit men to murder the then boyfriend of his estranged daughter Tiffany. The boyfriend, Andrew Tuono, survived the shooting which occurred outside his Atlantic City home last December.

Tuono, Tiffany Galati, the two hit men and a third conspirator testified for the prosecution in that case.

The hit men and their co-conspirator, all of whom have cut cooperating deals with the government and have pled guilty, are also witnesses in the murder-for-hire case now pending in Common Pleas Court.

In that case, Galati is charged with offering the shooters $20,000 to gun down to rival auto body shop operators -- a father and son -- whom he believed were cooperating with authorities in the insurance fraud investigation.

The potential targets closed their business before the hits could be carried out, according to authorities. Both were, in fact, cooperating against Galati in the insurance fraud case.

George Anastasia can be reached at George@bigtrial.net.

POSTED BY GEORGE ANASTASIA AT 4:37 PM
TRIAL: GALATI MURDER FOR HIRE CASE

Read more at http://www.bigtrial.net/2014/12/galati-asks-for-court-appointed-lawyer.html#1LAUVfoFfkTCaI53.99

"It looks like something they got off the bottom of the clothes pile,"

Listen to this fucking idiot. Yeah, they should drape him in velvet. Enough of this crying poverty. Let him foot his own legal bill. They know damn well he has the money for it. His own son unintentionally inferred as much with his fashion critique.