The curious case of the 'sniper van' found in New Orleans with 'ex-con son of known mob boss sitting in the passenger seat'

  • Joe Gagliano, 55, the son of the late New Orleans mob under boss Frank Gagliano Sr, was stopped by police two months ago
  • Officers were tipped off about a vehicle with fake plates
  • Deputies found a loaded .22-caliber rifle with scope hidden in the back along with a silencer
  • The late Frank Gagliano Sr who had links to the New York Gambino and Genovese families was indicted by FBI on racketeering in mid-Nineties

By LOUISE BOYLE

Published: | Updated:


A sniper van, complete with rifles, gun ports and a silencer, was discovered being driven by a renowned mob boss's son, recent police reports revealed.

Joe Gagliano, 55, the son of the late New Orleans mob boss Frank Gagliano Sr, was stopped by police two months ago after officers were tipped off about a vehicle with fake plates. 

Jefferson Parish sheriff's deputies found a loaded .22-caliber rifle with scope hidden in the back, along with a silencer.

Suspicious transportation: The son of a renowned New Orleans underworld boss was found by police driving around in what appeared to be a van designed for sniper attacks - with silencers, rifles and gun ports

Suspicious transportation: The son of a renowned New Orleans underworld boss was found by police driving around in what appeared to be a van designed for sniper attacks - with silencers, rifles and gun ports

Joe Gagliano is charged with aiding the interstate transfer of a firearm by a felon and receiving an unregistered weapon

Joe Gagliano is charged with aiding the interstate transfer of a firearm by a felon and receiving an unregistered weapon

Wooden chairs were mounted in the back of the van and windows had been painted over, according to nola.com. 

Dominick Gullo, 72, who was driving the van was arrested for possession of stolen property but posted bond. Gagliano was allowed to leave the scene at the time.

Gullo claimed he bought the van for $300 from a woman in a coffee shop and didn't check in the back.

He also said Gagliano was never in the van despite the fact a deputy saw him climbing out of the passenger side.

In July, both were charged with federal weapons offenses and are in custody. 

Frank Gagliano Sr. owned a restaurant close to Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans. In the mid-Nineties, the restaurant was bugged by the FBI due to the gangsters' designs on Louisiana's legal gambling market and New York Mafia connections they had made.

Gagliano is charged with aiding the interstate transfer of a firearm by a felon and receiving an unregistered weapon. Gullo faces a single count for receiving an unregistered weapon

Gagliano is charged with aiding the interstate transfer of a firearm by a felon and receiving an unregistered weapon. Gullo faces a single count for receiving an unregistered weapon

Gagliano and the driver were caught by police in the 'sniper' van after sheriff's deputies in Louisiana were tipped off about fake plates

Gagliano and the driver were caught by police in the 'sniper' van after sheriff's deputies in Louisiana were tipped off about fake plates

Although nothing came of the gangsters' big talk, the Gaglianos and more than a dozen associates were indicted as part of a 1994 federal investigation into Worldwide Gaming - the front for a criminal enterprise being worked by the Carrollo mob and members of New York's Genovese and Gambino families. 

Joe Gagliano talked often on wiretaps during the investigation which led to waves of charges related to racketeering. 

Gagliano was charged as part of a mob crew that scammed a casino in Biloxi out of more than half a million at the blackjack tables.

He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to almost six years in prison. He was released in 1999 and relies on his wife's income as a part-time college instructor to pay back the money he stole, according to nola.  

Gagliano is charged with aiding the interstate transfer of a firearm by a felon and receiving an unregistered weapon.

Gullo is charged with receiving an unregistered weapon.

Jefferson Parish sheriff's deputies pulled over a suspicious van which appeared to have been kitted out for sniper attacks including these gun ports (pictured)

Jefferson Parish sheriff's deputies pulled over a suspicious van which appeared to have been kitted out for sniper attacks including these gun ports (pictured)

A loaded rifle was found in the back of the van which Gullo claimed he had bought for $300 without 'checking in the back'

A loaded rifle was found in the back of the van which Gullo claimed he had bought for $300 without 'checking in the back'

 

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