‘Sopranos’ Star Tied to Cop’s Murder to be Set Free
“Sopranos” actor Lillo Brancato will be a free man Tuesday (December 31, 2013) after serving less than 10 years for a botched robbery that led to the murder of NYPD cop Daniel Enchautegui.
The 28-year-old officer was fatally shot in the chest on December 10, 2005 upon arriving at the burglary-in-progress at his neighbor’s home.
Brancato’s accomplice and father of his ex-girlfriend, Steven Armento, fired the gun that killed Enchautegui. Armento was convicted of first-degree murder and is serving a life sentence. Brancato was acquitted of the murder and charged instead with felony attempted burglary. Both men later admitted they were looking to steal money for heroin.
Brancato tweeted from prison to his 3364 followers.
“With that being said, this will be my last tweet from prison. Thank you for your love and support. I love you all!”
Patrick Lynch, president of the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, made it abundantly clear that the former "Sopranos" star won't have it easy being back out on the streets.
"As the system prepares to release him on parole, this union will take any steps necessary to ensure that this miscreant follows the conditions of his parole down to the last letter,” he said.
“The entire law enforcement community will be watching, and the minute he steps out of line, we’ll be sure that he is returned to prison to finish out the rest of his sentence.”
The one-time actor played Matthew Bevilaqua during the second season of the popular HBO series. He also played opposite Robert De Niro in “A Bronx Tale”.
While in prison, Brancato was not exactly a model inmate. He once reportedly beat up a fellow inmate for failing to get off a pay phone fast enough.
- Jagajeet Chiba, Gambling911.com
