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Patrons told police responding to a 911 call at the Hilltop Bar on Essex Street that they could clearly see the gun inside a satchel that Nicholas Gagliano, 35, had left behind while he ducked out for a smoke shortly after 2:30 a.m. Aug. 5, Lodi Police Sgt. Dominic Miller said.
The officers secured the 9mm Springfield Armory XDS – which wasn’t loaded – and took Gagliano into custody, the sergeant said.
Gagliano, of Saddle Brook, owns the gun legally but didn’t have a registered carry permit, he said.
Police charged him with possession of a handgun without a permit and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.
They sent Gagliano to the Bergen County Jail, where he remained for 10 days before a judge released him, pending further court action, on Aug. 15, records show.
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