NYC police officer killed; 'Sopranos' actor ID'd as a suspect

CBS2 Chicago ^

[KeyLargo]

NYC police officer killed; 'Sopranos' actor ID'd as a suspect AP

December 10, 2005 New York - An off-duty police officer was killed Saturday in a gunfight with two burglars outside his home, and authorities said an actor from "The Sopranos" was a suspect. Daniel Enchautegui, 28, a three-year veteran, was pronounced dead at a hospital following the 5:15 a.m. shooting, said Police Commissioner Ray Kelly.

He was the second officer to die in the line of duty in two weeks.

"This is a loss to the department and the city," said Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who joined Kelly at the hospital. "We now have another life to mourn, taken from us for no sensible reason."

The officer had returned to his Bronx home after finishing a late shift when he heard breaking glass in an unoccupied house next door, Kelly said. The officer first called his landlord, then called 911 to report a possible burglary.

The officer grabbed his off-duty weapon and went outside to investigate. His landlord heard Enchautegui shout, "Police! Don't move!", followed by the sound of gunfire, Kelly said.

The officer was struck once in the chest with a bullet from a .357-caliber revolver. Before collapsing in the driveway of the home, he returned fire and struck both of the suspects -- one was hit twice, the other four times.

One of the suspects was identified by police as Lillo Brancato Jr., an actor who also appeared in several episodes of "The Sopranos" as Matt Bevilacqua, a mob wannabe who eventually was murdered. He made his debut in the Robert De Niro-directed film "A Bronx Tale" back in 1993.

Brancato was arrested in June for criminal possession of a controlled substance.

A police car on routine patrol arrested Brancato as he was getting into a car, police said. The second suspect, Steven Armento, was arrested as he ran from the scene. Police identified Armento as the gunman.

Both men were taken into custody without incident and were in serious condition, Kelly said.

Although police were initially using dogs and a helicopter to search for other suspects, Kelly said it appeared only the two wounded men were involved. Subway trains were stopped for several hours as the search continued.

Another officer was shot on Nov. 28 during a car chase in Brooklyn and killed by a bullet that missed his protective vest.

A suspect in that shooting was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and attempted murder in a separate shooting that wounded another officer earlier in November.

On Tuesday, two state troopers were wounded and a drug suspect was killed when shots were fired during a raid in the Bronx.

[Eagles Talon IV]

Don't live there any longer. Used to live on Kingsland Ave, off the Pelham Parkway. Had relatives who lived on Matthews Ave, off White Plains Road and not far from the Bronx Zoo.

[Flyer]

No, 6 hits

Math is not my strong point, is it?

[Abathar]

You just need my tagline is all, best excuse there is when called on the carpet.

[WhistlingPastTheGraveyard]

Another child-star gone nutz (Brancato was 16 when he made the horribly over-rated "A Bronx Tale").

[cynicom]

Guns are illegal in NYC, wherever did they get them.

[BunnySlippers]

I miss the Sopranos. I don't know what I'm going to do when it ends!

[The Old Hoosier]

It was a great film, too.

[daybreakcoming]

He had more of a receding hairline than his "father" did.

[cgk]

I agree completely.

[cgk]

I did ask the moderator to remove my post. No offense was meant. He is now a cop-killer and deserves swift justice. See FReepmail.

[WasDougsLamb]

NYC police officer killed; 'Sopranos' actor ID'd as a suspect


-----If he is guilty, watch all the hollywood nut jobs come out and support him.

[School of Rational Thought]

"Wow! They use authentic hoods in the Sopranos"

Actually they do. I think the guy with the very white temples was a felon. I could be wrong in the identity, but one of cast is.

[Mr. Mojo]

Yep, and when Tony found out he took him to some isolated location, offered him a soft drink, watched the liquid go in one end and out the other, and then whacked him.

[lunarbicep]

Lillo Brancato, Jr. one of the two suspects who shot P. O. Daniel Enchautegui
in the driveway of his home in Bronx , New York on December 10, 2005.
He is a former Sopranos star who also starred in "A Bronx Tale."

Lillo Brancato

Sometimes Credited As:

Lillo Brancato Jr.

Actor - filmography
(In Production) (2000s) (1990s)

1. Saturday Morning (2005) (post-production) .... Alan Delucci
2. Searching for Bobby D (2005) .... Bobby
3. Slingshot (2005) .... DJ
4. Downtown: A Street Tale (2004) .... Lenny
5. The Real Deal (2004) .... Samy Saxo
6. The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002) .... Larry
   ... aka Pluto Nash (UK) (USA: working title)
7. In the Shadows (2001) (as Lillo Brancato Jr.) .... Jimmy Pierazzi
8. 'R Xmas (2001) (as Lillo Brancato Jr.) .... The Husband
   ... aka Christmas (France)
9. Sticks (2001) .... Lenny
10. "HRT" (2001) TV Series .... Special Agent Tom Monteleone
11. Mambo Café (2000) .... Weasel
12. "Falcone" (2000) TV Series .... Lucky
13. Blue Moon (2000) .... Pete
14. Table One (2000) .... Johnnie
15. The Florentine (1999) .... Pretty
16. Enemy of the State (1998) .... Brian
17. Provocateur (1998) .... Chris Finn
    ... aka Agent provocateur (Canada: English title: video title)
18. Firehouse (1997) (TV) (as Lillo Brancato Jr.) .... Gaetano Luvullo
19. Crimson Tide (1995) (as Lillo Brancato Jr.) .... Petty Officer Third Class Russell Vossler
20. Renaissance Man (1994) (as Lillo Brancato Jr.) .... Pvt. Donnie Benitez
    ... aka Army Intelligence
    ... aka By the Book
21. A Bronx Tale (1993) .... Calogero 'C' Anello (age 17)

Notable TV Guest Appearances

1. "NYPD Blue" playing "Gary Montaneri" (as Lillo Brancato Jr.) in episode: "Dead Meat in New Deli" (episode # 9.21) 14 May 2002
2. "The Sopranos" playing "Matt Bevilacqua" (as Lillo Brancato Jr.) in episode: "Bust-Out" (episode # 2.10) 19 March 2000
3. "The Sopranos" playing "Matt" (as Lillo Brancato Jr.) in episode: "From Where to Eternity" (episode # 2.9) 12 March 2000
4. "The Sopranos" playing "Matt" (as Lillo Brancato Jr.) in episode: "Full Leather Jacket" (episode # 2.8) 5 March 2000
5. "The Sopranos" playing "Matt" (as Lillo Brancato Jr.) in episode: "The Happy Wanderer" (episode # 2.6) 20 February 2000
6. "The Sopranos" playing "Matt Bevilaqua" (as Lillo Brancato Jr.) in episode: "Do Not Resuscitate" (episode # 2.2) 23 January 2000
7. "The Sopranos" playing "Matt Bevilaqua" (as Lillo Brancato Jr.) in episode: "Guy Walks Into a Psychiatrist's Office" (episode # 2.1) 16 January 2000
8. "Dead Man's Gun" playing "Gulseppe" in episode: "The Vine" (episode # 2.19) 5 March 1999

 

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000969/

 

 

[HiTech RedNeck]

Life imitates art.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Glassine bags? Glassine is still used for something in this ziploc age?

[thefactor]

so many pics of the perp. here is a pic of the young hero. i am wearing my dress blues too many times in the past couple of weeks. RIP, my brother. i didn't know you, but i know what you did.

[thefactor]

"...that guilt shall not escape or innocence suffer." --Justice Sutherland

[Pharmboy]

This was just awful. This officer had cojones and was also pretty good with his off duty piece. RIP.

Hopefully this the last for a long time...

[KeyLargo]

When you read this MSM headline from AP you would not know that this punk murdered a police officer. I really hate the MSM.

Ex-Sopranos Actor Shot By Police
NBC5 Entertainment
POSTED: 9:29 pm CST December 10, 2005

NEW YORK -- A young New York City police officer, dying from a bullet wound in his chest, somehow managed to steady his gun and shoot two burglars.

One of the wounded suspects, who police allege were breaking into a vacant house in the Bronx, has been identified as 29-year old actor Lillo Brancato, Jr. He's hospitalized in critical condition. The other man is in serious condition.

Brancato, who police said was unarmed, has appeared in more than a dozen feature films. He got his break playing a confused teen in the Robert De Niro-directed film "A Bronx Tale" in 1993. He also had roles in "Renaissance Man" and "Crimson Tide."

Brancato played doomed mob wannabe Matt Bevilacqua during the 1999-2000 season of "The Sopranos."

He was arrested in June on charges of heroin possession.