Reputed mob associate Ronald Galati Sr. gets long prison term

Dec. 09--Reputed mob associate Ronald Galati Sr. entered a Philadelphia courtroom Friday looking thin and dressed in a white T-shirt and dark pants.

"Morning, everybody," Galati, 66, said to relatives and friends.

He has been in jail since December 2013, following his arrest in a murder-for-hire plot to have his friend, Joseph Rao Sr., a South Philadelphia auto-body-shop owner, and the friend's son, Joseph Jr., killed around October of that year. The shootings never happened.

Since then, he and his son, Ronald Galati Jr., were among 40 people charged by a Philadelphia grand jury in a widespread insurance-fraud scheme. And in March 2015, Galati Sr. was sentenced in federal court in Camden to 22 years in prison for sending three hit men to kill his daughter Tiffany's then-boyfriend, Andrew Tuono, on Nov. 30, 2013, in Atlantic City. Tuono was shot three times but survived.

On Friday, Common Pleas Court Judge Daniel Anders sentenced Galati to 14 years and eight months to 29 years and four months behind bars. Galati had pleaded no contest in September to charges of attempted murder in the Raos' case and to other charges in the insurance-fraud scheme.

City prosecutors agreed that Galati's prison term would be served concurrently with his federal prison sentence.

Before Galati's sentencing, Anders sentenced Galati Jr. in a separate hearing to nine to 23 months of house arrest with 10 years of concurrent probation for his role in the insurance-fraud scheme.

Galati and his son had operated an auto-body shop, American Collision & Auto Center, at 1930 S. 20th St. in South Philly.

In May 2014, prosecutors announced a grand jury indictment against 40 defendants -- including Galati Sr. and Jr. -- in a multimillion-dollar insurance fraud scheme.

Galati Sr. was accused of directing his family, insurance adjusters, tow truck drivers, and a city police officer to create phony stories of crashes caused by falling objects, deer, and other animals to boost insurance claims.

In March of this year, Galati, his son and a former supervisor with the city's Office of Fleet Management, Robert Otterson, were further charged with fleecing $400,000 from that office.

Galati Sr. "had his own little kingdom," Assistant District Attorney Dawn Holtz said Friday. "He was the king. He was the queen. Ron Jr. was the prince. Tiffany was the princess."

Holtz said that "once things began to fall apart, he [the father] became a violent person." Around October 2013, Galati had wanted Rao Sr. and Jr. killed because Galati learned that Rao Sr. had testified before a grand jury investigating Galati.

On Sept. 7, Galati pleaded no contest to charges of corrupt organization, theft and related offenses in the fraud case and to the attempted murders.

Galati Jr. pleaded guilty to corrupt organization, conspiracy and theft charges in the fraud scheme.

Vicki Galati, Galati Sr.'s wife, who also worked in the shop, was among the 40 charged. In exchange for the pleas by her husband and son, Holtz dropped charges against her.

Galati Sr.'s attorney, Trevan Borum, told the judge that Galati cares greatly for his family. "Mr. Galati decided to fall upon his sword" by pleading so that charges would be dropped against Vicki, Borum said.

Borum said Galati suffers from emphysema and pulmonary obstruction.

As Galati was escorted out of the room and back into custody, he looked to his several supporters in the gallery and said: "Have a good holiday."

In Galati Jr.'s case, Holtz asked for a county jail sentence of less than two years.

Defense attorney Brian McMonagle asked for probation, saying that "none of this, not any of this, was his idea." He noted that Galati Jr. had no prior criminal record.

Galati Jr., who turned 39 on Thursday and is the father of twin girls almost 2 years old and a 12-year-old stepson, apologized.

Anders ordered Galati Sr. and Jr. to each pay $200,000 in restitution to the city. He ordered Galati Sr. to pay $1.8 million in total restitution to 18 insurance companies he defrauded, and ordered Galati Jr. to pay $250,000 in restitution to one insurance company.

Most of the other defendants in the insurance fraud scheme have pleaded guilty, including Otterson, 50, of South Philly. He faces sentencing Dec. 16.

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