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Lillo Brancato, Jr. (born August 19, 1976) is an American actor born in Bogotá, Colombia, perhaps best known for his role of Calogero Anello in Robert De Niro's 1993 directorial debut, A Bronx Tale. He also played a young mobster on The Sopranos.

In December 2005, Brancato was charged with second-degree murder for his role in a burglary in the Bronx in which an off-duty police officer, Daniel Enchautegui, was fatally shot.

Life and career

Brancato was adopted when he was four months old and raised by his adoptive parents, Lillo Sr. and Domenica, in Yonkers, New York. Brancato was discovered while swimming at Jones Beach by a casting director who was searching for Robert DeNiro look-alikes, and who was impressed by Brancato's impersonation of Joe Pesci and DeNiro's character from "Taxi Driver", which won him the role of Calogero Anello. [1]

His brother, Vincent Brancato, had a small part in A Bronx Tale as well, playing one of the boys who jumped on the back of the bus driven by Robert De Niro's character. This scene was filmed on City Island.

Brancato has also appeared in several season two episodes of The Sopranos as Matthew Bevilaqua, a young mobster who was eventually murdered. He played a small part in Crimson Tide (1995) with Denzel Washington and Gene Hackman. He also starred alongside Gregory Hines, Danny Devito and an then unknown Mark Wahlberg in the 1994 movie Renaissance Man.

Drug possession arrest

On June 10, 2005, Brancato was arrested by the Yonkers Police Department in Yonkers, New York, and charged with seventh-degree misdemeanor criminal possession of a controlled substance. According to press reports, police pulled Brancato over for having a rear brake light out and found he had an expired registration and no other papers for the vehicle. He gave police permission to look in a cigarette box where they found four bags of heroin.

Second-degree murder arrest

On December 10, 2005, Brancato was arrested by the New York City Police Department in the Bronx on suspicion of murdering off-duty police officer Daniel Enchautegui. Enchautegui confronted Brancato, and his accomplice, 48-year-old Steven Armento, outside at a vacant house located at 1339 Arnow Place, next to his own, after hearing glass break. While Enchautegui waited for backup, a gunfight erupted. Enchautegui was shot and brought to the hospital where he died. Police soon arrested Brancato and Armento in the vicinity, both with multiple gunshot wounds and in critical condition. Armento, who is the father of Brancato's ex-girlfriend Stephanie, was arraigned on first-degree murder. Brancato was arraigned on second-degree murder. [2]

Coincidentally, Enchautegui lived in the same building (in the Pelham Bay section of the borough) where actor Francis Capra once lived. Capra portrayed Calogero Anello at age 9, the character Brancato portrayed at age 17, in A Bronx Tale. [3]

Officer Enchautegui had served with the New York City Police Department for three years and was assigned to the 40th Precinct in the Bronx. [4]

In an interview with the New York Post, Brancato apologized to Enchautegui's family for his actions. His apology was met with anger and was called "worthy of an Academy Award" by Enchautegui's sister. [5]

Recently, Brancato told New York Magazine that he believes his life story would be film-worthy. However, the Policeman's Benevolent Association stated that, in their opinion, Brancato should not be allowed to profit if a film is made about his life. [6]

Filmography

• Saturday Morning (2006)
• Searching for Bobby D (2005)
• Slingshot (2005)
• Downtown: A Street Tale (2004)
• The Real Deal (2002)
• The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002)
• NYPD Blue (2002)
• In the Shadows (2001)
• 'R Xmas (2001)
• Sticks (2001)
• HRT (2001)
• Mambo Cafe (2000)
• Falcone (2000)
• The Sopranos (2000)
• Blue Moon (2000)
• Table One (2000)
• The Florentine (1999)
• Dead Man's Gun (1999)
• Enemy of the State (1998)
• Provocateur (1998)
• Firehouse (1997)
• Crimson Tide (1995)
• Renaissance Man (1994)
• A Bronx Tale (1993)

External links

• Lillo Brancato Jr. Official Site
• "NYPD officer slain in Bronx; 2 Yonkers suspects shot" from The Journal News, December 11 2005
• "A Chance Discovery at Jones Beach That Led to a Series of Tough-Guy Roles" from The New York Times, December 11 2005
• "Actor and 2nd Man Are Charged in Officer's Killing" from The New York Times, December 12, 2005
• " Ex-'Sopranos' actor held without bail" from CNN, December 15 2005
• "The Lost Soprano" from New York Magazine, March 6 2006

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