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Lillo Brancato

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Lillo Brancato
Brancato in 2023
Born
Saúl Rodríguez

(1976-08-30) August 30, 1976 (age 48)
Bogotá, Colombia
OccupationActor
Years active1993–2007, 2014–present
Brancato's voice
On his brother and childhood in Yonkers
First published December 17, 2023

Lillo Brancato Jr. (born August 30, 1976) is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Calogero “C” Anello in Robert De Niro's 1993 directorial debut, A Bronx Tale. He also portrayed Matthew Bevilaqua, a young aspiring mobster, on The Sopranos.

Early life

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Brancato was born Saúl Rodríguez in Bogotá, Colombia,[1] on August 30, 1976.[2] Adopted when he was four months old, he was raised by Italian-American parents, Lillo Brancato Sr., a construction worker, and Domenica, an electrolysist,[3] in Yonkers, New York. Brancato studied at Mount Saint Michael Academy. His adoptive brother, Vinny, briefly worked as a fashion model and now works as a Yonkers civil servant.[4]

Although he was born in Colombia, Brancato has said, "I consider myself Italian. I was raised to eat pasta."[5] Brancato was discovered in 1992, while swimming at New York's Jones Beach, by a talent scout who noticed Brancato's resemblance to Robert De Niro.[6] Brancato was a fan of De Niro and impressed the scout with an impression of Travis Bickle from Taxi Driver. This won him the role of De Niro's son in A Bronx Tale.[4]

Career

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Brancato acted in three films in the mid-1990s, before joining the cast of The Sopranos. In A Bronx Tale (1993), he played the main character Calogero 'C' Anello, a teenager torn between his father and a mob boss who befriended him as a child (according to New York Magazine, Brancato earned $25,000 ($52,700 today) for the role).[4] He further appeared in Renaissance Man (1994), followed by a minor but climactic role as a radio operator in Crimson Tide (1995).

In the second season of The Sopranos, which HBO broadcast in 2000, Brancato starred as Matthew Bevilaqua, a young mobster associated with Tony Soprano's crime syndicate. Bevilaqua first appeared in the second-season premiere, "Guy Walks into a Psychiatrist's Office...", and appeared in five more episodes. The character was murdered in "From Where to Eternity", before appearing in a flashback during "Bust Out". Brancato also played a mobster in the TV series Falcone, which debuted in 2000. Brancato went on to star in 'R Xmas (2001), appearing with fellow Sopranos cast member Drea de Matteo, and appeared opposite Eddie Murphy as Larry in The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002).

Brancato's last film before being charged in 2005 for first-degree burglary was Saturday Morning, released in 2007. The director, whose brother-in-law is a police officer, edited down all of Brancato's scenes during post-production.[7] Following his release from prison in 2013, Brancato made his return to acting with Back in The Day (2016).[8][9] He has since had supporting roles in films including Dead on Arrival (2017), a remake of D.O.A. (1950), Vamp Bikers Dos and Vamp Bikers Tres by Eric Spade Rivas 2015-2017 and the 5th Borough (2020). Brancato can be heard narrating the music video for the Chris Brown and Young Thug song "City Girls", released on December 4, 2020.[10] He recently has shot all his scenes for the Brooklyn Premiere film by Eric Spade Rivas 2024.

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3117-3119 Arnow Place, Bronx, New York 10461, site of the shooting. The house left of the alleyway, number 3117, was Daniel Enchautegui's residence; number 3119, right of the alleyway, was the house Brancato and his accomplice Armento attempted to burgle.

Brancato started using drugs and alcohol shortly after beginning his acting career in 1992. He was addicted to cocaine and heroin by his mid-20s.[6]

On June 10, 2005, Brancato was arrested in Yonkers, New York by the Yonkers Police Department. Officers originally 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. He was charged with a Class A misdemeanor for criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree.[11]

Bronx apartment robbery

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Six months later, on December 10, 2005, Brancato was arrested by the New York City Police Department (NYPD) in the Bronx for the murder of 28-year-old police officer Daniel Enchautegui, who was at home and off-duty at the time of his death. Enchautegui had served with the NYPD for three years and was assigned to the 40th Precinct in the Bronx.[12] Enchautegui confronted Brancato (then 29) and his accomplice, Steven Armento (48), outside a vacant house located at 3119 Arnow Place, next to his own, after hearing glass break. While Enchautegui waited for backup, a gunfight erupted and Enchautegui was shot. He was later taken to Jacobi Medical Center, where he died.[12]

Armento (who was the father of Brancato's girlfriend Stefanie) was found to have fired the fatal shot that killed Enchautegui and subsequently convicted of first-degree murder on October 30, 2008, receiving a sentence of life in prison without parole (Armento died on January 2, 2024, at the Mohawk Correctional Facility in upstate New York).[13]

Brancato was charged with second-degree murder,[14] and his trial began on November 17, 2008.[13] On December 22, 2008, a jury found him not guilty of murder but found him guilty of first-degree attempted burglary.[15] On January 9, 2009, a judge sentenced him to 10 years in prison.[16]

Brancato was incarcerated on Rikers Island and as state inmate #09A0227 in the Oneida Correctional Facility in Rome, New York, and was subsequently transferred to the Hudson Correctional Facility.[2] While in prison, Brancato continued his drug use, suffering a heroin overdose on at least one occasion.[6] On December 31, 2013, he was released on parole.[17] In 2018, Brancato said he was eleven years sober and had returned to acting.[18]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1993 A Bronx Tale Calogero "C" Anello (age 17)
1994 Renaissance Man Pvt. Donnie Benitez
1995 Crimson Tide Petty Officer Third Class Russell Vossler
1997 Firehouse Gaetano Luvullo TV movie
1998 Provocateur Chris Finn
Enemy of the State Young Worker
1999 The Florentine Pretty
2000 Blue Moon Pete
Mambo Café Weasel
Table One Johnnie
2001 Sticks Lenny Prince
'R Xmas The Husband
In the Shadows Jimmy Pierazzi
The Adventures of Pluto Nash Larry
2002 The Real Deal Samy Saxo
2004 Downtown: A Street Tale Lenny
2005 Slingshot DJ
Searching for Bobby D Bobby
2007 Saturday Morning Alan Delucci
2015 The Bronx Dahmer Joey Short
2016 Back in the Day Nicky
Vamp Bikers Tres Tony
2017 Man of the House Desk Clerk Short
Dead on Arrival Zanca
2018 King of Newark 2 Bruno
2019 The Fearless Two Tiger
2020 5th Borough Sonny Finici
2021 The Phone Call Johnny Short
The War of the Worlds 2021 Stranger Short
Monsters of Mulberry Street Father Palladino
Made in Mexico Ochoa
2022 I'm on Fire Sal Short
Sleepyhead Lillo Fante

Television

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Year Film Role Notes
1999 Dead Man's Gun Gulseppe Guissipini Episode: "The Vine"
2000 The Sopranos Matthew Bevilaqua Recurring Cast: Season 2
Falcone Lucky Episode: "Windows"
2002 NYPD Blue Gary Montaneri Episode: "Dead Meat in New Deli"

Music Video

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Year Artist Title Notes
2020 Chris Brown and Young Thug "City Girls" Narrator (voice)

Documentary

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Year Title
2018 Wasted Talent

References

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  1. ^ Golianopoulos, Thomas (2017-07-11). "Wasted Talent". The Ringer, SB Nation. Retrieved 2021-09-13. Brancato was born Saul Rodriguez in Bogotá, Colombia, to parents he never met.
  2. ^ a b Inmate Population Information Search, from the website of the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. Retrieved on July 10, 2012.
  3. ^ "Lillo Brancato Biography (1976-)". Film Reference.com.
  4. ^ a b c Fishman, Steve (2006-02-27). "The Lost Soprano". New York.
  5. ^ "Shooting suspect was once a rising star". Newsday. Associated Press. 2005-12-10.
  6. ^ a b c Falcone, Dana Rose; McNeil, Liz (2017-10-17). "How Sopranos Star Lillo Brancato Descended into Addiction and Violence – And His Life After Prison". People. Retrieved 2018-06-01.
  7. ^ Widdicombe, Ben (2007-05-21). "Film now a tough cell". New York Daily News. Retrieved 2018-06-01.
  8. ^ Tracy, Thomas; Adams Otis, Ginger (2015-03-24). "Lillo Brancato lands first movie role in 'Back In The Day' following jail stint; police union head calls for boycott". New York Daily News. Retrieved 2018-06-01.
  9. ^ Rechtshaffen, Michael (2016-05-20). "'Back in the Day' is a punch-drunk retread of much better boxing dramas". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2018-06-03.
  10. ^ Price, Joe. "Chris Brown and Young Thug Share "City Girls" Music Video". Complex.com. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  11. ^ Saland, Jeremy (2010-02-08). "New York Penal Law 220.03 – Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Seventh Degree & Your Criminal Defense: Does Quantity of the Drug Matter?". New York Criminal Attorneys, Crotty Saland PC. Retrieved 2018-06-01.
  12. ^ a b "The Officer Down Memorial Page: Detective Daniel Enchautegui". The Officer Down Memorial Page.
  13. ^ a b "Murder trial scheduled for 'Sopranos' actor". International Herald Tribune. 2008-11-08. Archived from the original on February 10, 2009.
  14. ^ Wilson, Michael (2005-12-13). "Did Suspects Know Victim Was an Officer? Police Say Statements Differ". The New York Times.
  15. ^ Chan, Sewell; Mathew R. Warren (2008-12-22). "Ex-Actor Acquitted of Officer's Murder". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-12-22.
  16. ^ Eligon, John (2009-01-09). "10-Year Sentence for 'Sopranos' Actor". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-01-09.
  17. ^ Tom Hays, Former 'Sopranos' Actor Brancato Gets Parole, Associated Press, from ABCNews.com (December 31, 2013). Retrieved on January 4, 2014.
  18. ^ Nolasco, Stephanie (2018-03-15). "'Sopranos' actor Lillo Brancato talks getting sober after life in jail, returning to acting". Fox News. Retrieved 2020-11-15.
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