Mob Associate Led Elaborate Body Shop Scam

“I live my life to cheat insurance companies. My high every day is to cheat insurance companies.” So went the mantra of body-shop owner and reputed Philadelphia mob associate Ron Galati. Galati’s rambling insurance con read like a cheap detective novel. “Staggering” was how one prosecutor described the plot of Galati, who palled around with former Philadelphia mob bosses Joey “Skinny” Merlino and Joseph “Uncle Joe” Ligambi. Frozen deer parts and dozens of setup car crashes were the heart of Galati’s $5-million plot to soak 18 auto insurers with inflated repair claims in the Philadelphia area.