"Sopranos" Actor Lillo Brancato Jr., 29, was hospitalized in critical condition with gunshot wounds suffered when an officer shot him after catching him breaking into an apartment to look for drugs. Brancato’s friend Steven Armento, 48, was also shot and in critical condition, and the New York police officer was killed by two bullets that struck him in the spleen.
According to reports, Armento allegedly pulled out a gun and shot Officer Daniel Enchautegui, 28, who returned fire and hit both men. Armento is being charged with first- and second-degree murder and Brancato with second-degree murder in the death of Enchautegui who was off-duty at the time.
According to the New York Daily News, Robert De Niro expressed shock yesterday that the one-time protege he plucked from obscurity and gave a starring movie role is suspected in the murder of a cop. Lillo got his acting break as a 16-year-old in the De Niro film "A Bronx Tale" in 1993 and has since appeared in a dozen other films, including "Crimson Tide" and "Enemy of the State."
"This is deeply disturbing news, a tragedy beyond comprehension," De Niro said yesterday. "I join others in extending my deepest sympathy to Officer Enchautegui's family."
Lillo played junior varsity mobster Matt Bevilacqua who shoots Christopher in an episode on "The Sopranos" and is hunted down by Big Pussy and Tony Soprano who execute him. Too bad this whole "life-imitating-art-imitating-life" thing has become too true for Lillo who has battled drugs problems this past year, and will probably due some serious prison time, even though he wasn't the shooter.
