Free Republic

A STAR of the mega-hit Sopranos TV drama, Lillo Brancato, has appeared in a New York court facing a murder charge. Brancato, 29, and co-defendant Steven Armento, 48, were charged with second-degree murder over the death of an off-duty police officer last month. Mr Armento, who allegedly pulled the trigger, was also charged with first-degree murder. Brancato entered the court in handcuffs as dozens of police officers and media looked on, Associated Press reported. Both men have denied the charges. The parents of the victim, Daniel Enchautegui, attended the proceedings in the Bronx court. According to the police case, Mr...

A young "Sopranos" actor accused in the slaying of an off-duty police officer said in a jailhouse interview he's sorry and didn't know his alleged burglary accomplice was carrying a gun. Lillo Brancato Jr., who appeared opposite Robert De Niro "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. "When I saw the picture of his...

The murdered officer's spirit was warmth enough for the thousands of his comrades who lined the frigid Bronx street as his coffin was shouldered up the dozen steep steps at St. John's Chrysostom Church yesterday morning. The family of Police Officer Daniel Enchautegui came behind, followed into the church by Mayor Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly and Gov. Pataki. The procession down the aisle was headed by a little girl wearing a white altar server's vestment and holding a wooden crucifix in her two small hands. Her name is Morgan Betancourt. She will be 11 tomorrow. This was her...

Another city cop died in the line of duty yesterday, gunned down while trying to stop a break-in at a neighbor's house by two men — including a drug-plagued actor who once starred in the Robert De Niro film "A Bronx Tale" and appeared in the HBO series "The Sopranos." Despite being mortally wounded, Officer Daniel Enchautegui, 28, managed to shoot both men before collapsing in his Bronx driveway — a bullet near his heart.

Police Officer Daniel Enchautegui New York City Police Department New York End of Watch: Saturday, December 10, 2005 Biographical Info Age: 28 Tour of Duty: Not available Badge Number: 29246 Incident Details Cause of Death: Gunfire Date of Incident: Saturday, December 10, 2005 Weapon Used: Handgun; .357 caliber Suspect Info: Apprehended Police Officer Daniel Enchautegui was shot and killed when he interrupted a burglary in progress while off-duty. Officer Enchautegui had just returned home after finishing a late shift when he heard breaking glass in the house next door to his. He called 911 to report a possible burglary in...