 Since 1891, the Gaggero family has been a dominant force in the management of the business.Then-owner John Bland lacked any direct heirs and thus opted to sell the Bland Group to his clerk, Joseph Gaggero.By 1904, Emmanuel Gaggero was in charge of the Bland Group's towing and salvage operations, opting to invest in fast vessels that could outrun competitors to respond to distress calls from third party shipping.