'Sniper van' found in Metairie leads to mystery with mob ties

NOLA.com | Times-Picayune ^ | July 18, 2014 | Andy Grimm

[BBell]

Jefferson Parish sheriff's deputies found a racketeer and a riddle when they pulled over a van in Metairie two months ago. The racketeer was Joe Gagliano, the 55-year-old son of a reputed New Orleans mob underboss. The riddle was what he was doing in a van outfitted with what appeared to be gun ports, with a sniper rifle and silencer inside.

Late one night a patrol deputy got a tip from a "credible and reliable source" that there was a van with stolen plates, driving on Metairie Road near the Orleans Parish line.

When they pulled over the van, deputies found a loaded .22-caliber rifle with scope wrapped in a piece of carpeting in the back, and a black metal cylinder -- a silencer -- lay in a side compartment, a May 7 arrest report says.

Wooden kitchen chairs were mounted in the cargo area, facing out sliding glass windows that had been installed behind the driver's seat and in one of the back windows. Other windows in the back of the van had been painted over. Underneath a sandbag that was holding one of the chairs in place, deputies found 8 feet of "cannon fuse."

The driver of the van, 72-year-old Dominick Gullo, was booked with possession of stolen property -- the license plate -- and posted bond. Gagliano was "allowed to depart," the report states.

Five weeks later, however, both men were charged in federal court with weapons offenses. They've been in federal custody since.

Mandeville Police Chief Rick Richard saw a report about the arrest more than a month later on television, and he was puzzled. "I have heard it called a 'sniper van,' but I don't know what to make of that," he said.

In the early 1990s, Richard was an FBI agent assigned to the

[trebb]

So, no argument with either of you, just FRiendly FReeper conversing and please ping me if any new info comes up. And, i will do the same, if you'd like?

No argument whatsoever - I try to take advantage of the opportunities to put some levity into the discussions to keep from getting depressed over the political issues that are destroying us. The ping offer sounds good.

[MaxMax]

I have no knowledge of how the setup would work on Humans, but on rabbits it's really effective.
If I miss a head shot the Rabbits just stand there wondering what that bug was that
singed their whiskers. .22LR makes them scatter because of the sonics of the bullet.

It's still a fun way to shoot the AR, and inexpensive for plinking.

[Hot Tabasco]

"I have heard it called a 'sniper van,' but I don't know what to make of that," he said.

Ever go shining deer?