Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- "He's been shot. My husband's been shot," Adriana Pagano said in a hurried speech the 911 operator could barely understand.

Pagano, trying to compose herself, told them to send police to her Daisy Court address in Cranston. The family was having a party. Something had happened.

Jurors heard the 911 tapes Wednesday in the murder trial of Nicholas Gianquitti, who is accused of shooting his next-door neighbor James A. Pagano to death in a dispute that began when a child's stray tennis ball struck Gianquitti's car on May 18, 2008.

"It was right in the front yard," the victim's widow said. "He came out and started shooting at my husband and my father."

Screams and cries could be heard in the background.

"Oh, my God," a woman's voice said.

"What?" Adriana told someone in the room. "They are coming."

In the courtroom, friends and relatives cried, heads bowed down, as they relived the frantic pleas for help as Cranston fire Lt. James Pagano laid on the ground bleeding.

Minutes later, on the day of the shooting, the next call came in, "Please," a woman shrieked. "Pleeease."

"The neighbor came in and launched at my husband and pushed him down the stairs," Jennifer Gianquitti told the 911 operator. "He (her husband) chased him out the house."

Then, Gianquitti himself got on the phone, telling the operator he was a retired police officer. His speech, unlike his wife's, was cool and collected.

The operator talked to Gianquitti for a few minutes and eventually asked him to "come out with your hands up."

"All right, thank you, sir," Gianquitti said.

In all six 911 calls were placed that Sunday afternoon, including two from Gianquitti's house and two from Pagano's house.

The first call came in at 15:11:04 from 16 Daisy Court, Nicholas Gianquitti's home address. It lasted just over six minutes.

Less than a minute later, Adriana Pagano called asking for help.

"We are at 10 Daisy Court, and you are not here," she said.

The police was there, the operator said.

"I don't see the rescue," she screamed.

As she was on the phone with the police, Gianquitti was calling 911 asking if it was safe to come out.

"I want to come out, but I don't want (for the police) to start shooting at me," Gianquitti said, noting his house was surrounded by the police.

The operator said they were waiting for him. Gianquitti hung up the phone at 15:22:32 and walked out.

It turns out rescue personnel was up the street at police negotiated with Gianquitti to surrender.

Five seconds later, Adriana Pagano ended her call, releived as she finally saw rescue personnel treating her husband.

Get the latest live blog posts from the trial

Extra: Our continuing report on the shooting of Lt. James Pagano.

 Tags  Cranston RI Gianquitti James Pagano murder trial Nicholas Gianquitti testimony

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