Actor says he’s sorry cop was shot
A young “Sopranos†actor accused in the slaying of an off-duty New York police officer said in a jailhouse interview that he’s sorry and he didn’t know his alleged burglary accomplice was carrying a gun.
Lillo Brancato Jr., who appeared opposite Robert De Niro in “A Bronx Tale†and more recently was in several episodes of “The Sopranos,†was charged with murder and other counts in the Dec. 10 shooting of Daniel Enchautegui during a gunfight.
He told the New York Post in an interview published Thursday that he wept while reading a newspaper account of Enchautegui’s funeral.
Enchautegui, 28, was shot after he heard Brancato, 29, and another man, Steven Armento, breaking into a basement apartment in the Bronx, authorities said.
Brancato, who acknowledges problems with drugs and alcohol, said he was unaware Armento was carrying a weapon when they left a strip club to break into the apartment and steal prescription drugs. Authorities identified Armento, 48, as the gunman in the slaying.
Brancato said he might take the witness stand at trial to tell the jury “how horrible I feel about my stupidity.â€
Brancato was still in his teens when he played De Niro’s son in “A Bronx Tale†in 1993. He appeared on six episodes of “The Sopranos†during the 1999-2000 season as a wannabe mobster who was killed by boss Tony Soprano.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
