What does it mean to "stagger one's appearance"?

Factual Questions
1

Hi,
What does it mean to “stagger one’s appearance”? It appears to mean to alter one’s appearance, but I haven’t found any definition matching the use of the word “stagger” to it usage below.
I look forward to your feedback.

“The lavish wedding of John Gotti’s grandson would have made the Dapper Don proud — guests were shaken down for minimum gifts of $5,000 and gangsters had to stagger their appearances to avoid unlawful contact with fellow criminals, The Post has learned.”

"“Felons can’t consort together,” one source said.

“You have to stagger the felons. That’s standard mob procedure.”"

2

stagger in this sense means to not all come at the same time. One comes, then a little later another, and so on.

3

Think of it as “stagger their arrival” or appearance as the time they appear.

4

They’re not allowed to hang out together, so they coordinate to come at different times, staggering their attendance.

5

Thanks. I hadn’t heard the expression before.

stagger:
8.
to arrange otherwise than at the same time, especially in a series of alternating or continually overlapping intervals:
They planned to stagger lunch hours so that the cafeteria would not be rushed.

6

Perhaps because it is not an expression as such. It is a phrase formed by joining several words together. The meaning of the phrase is obtained by considering the meanings of the words in the phrase and the context in which it is found.

7

Parolees are normally not allowed to associate with other known felons.

8

“Stagger” is also used to refer to physical alignments, not just time alignments.

e.g. The stacks of boxes were staggered so the labels on two sides could be seen.

The cases of soda were stacked in a staggered arrangement to make a tall pyramid.

etc.

9

I think it means the mobsters all had to be stinking drunk before they showed up at the wedding. If you’re blotto, the law can’t touch you.

Okay, I don’t actually think that.

10

Yes, this is just an example of a standard use of the verb “to stagger.” It’s not an idiom or set phrase or anything.

11

The sticking point seems to be the “appearances” being taken as meaning aspect rather than arrival.

12

In fact, the photo caption further illustrates the intended meaning:

13

That would be “to appear, staggering.”

14

Would “make staggered appearances” carry the same meaning? Had the writer of this particular article used that formulation I would have understood it immediately.

15

Yes, that would have meant the same thing.

16

If it helps, ‘stagger’ in this context means for the mobsters to make their appearances in ‘stages’, rather than all at once.

17

Thank you all. Very helpful.