Lillo Brancato Jr. (Mathew Bevilaqua on The Sopranos) might have gotten out of his murder rap, but he still has to pay for his crimes, per below:

From The New York Times on Jan. 9th 2009:

10-Year Sentence for ‘Sopranos’ Actor
Rob Bennett for The New York Times
By JOHN ELIGON
Published: January 9, 2009

Lillo Brancato Jr., the former actor who was convicted of attempted burglary for his role in a 2005 shooting in the Bronx that left an off-duty police officer dead, was sentenced on Friday to 10 years in prison.
Skip to next paragraph [url=http://javascript<b></b>:pop_me_up2('http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2009/01/10/nyregion/10brancato_CA0.inline.ready.html',%20'10brancato_CA0_inline_ready',%20'width=720,height=600,scrollbars=yes,toolbars=no,resizable=yes')]Enlarge This Image[/url]
[url=http://javascript<b></b>:pop_me_up2('http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2009/01/10/nyregion/10brancato_CA0.inline.ready.html',%20'10brancato_CA0_inline_ready',%20'width=720,height=600,scrollbars=yes,toolbars=no,resizable=yes')][img]http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/200 ... o2_190.JPG[/img] [/url]Left, David Greene/Associated Press; right, NYPD
Lillo Brancato Jr., left, had been acquitted of murder in the death of Officer Enchautegui, right.

With good behavior, Mr. Brancato, who has already been locked up for three years, could get out in five years.
The sentence, imposed by Justice Martin Marcus of State Supreme Court in the Bronx, was met with disappointment on both sides. Justice Marcus could have sentenced Mr. Brancato to as few as 3 ½ years and as many as 15.
Mr. Brancato’s mother, Domenica, began weeping after Justice Marcus announced the sentence.
Outside the courtroom, John P. Puglissi, a top police union official, said: “We’re severely disappointed that the judge did not have the courage to follow through and give the maximum sentence to this low-life drug addict, washed-up actor, Lillo Brancato. This is a travesty of justice.”
Holding back tears, Yolanda Rosa, sister of the slain officer, Daniel Enchautegui, said, “I’m disappointed in the judicial system right now.” She said that no matter what the jury ruled, Mr. Brancato would “always be a murderer.”
Mr. Brancato, 32, who has appeared in “The Sopranos” and the movie “A Bronx Tale,” faced the possibility of life in prison when his trial started, in November. Prosecutors charged him with felony murder, arguing that although he was unarmed and did not fire the shots that killed Officer Enchautegui on Dec. 10, 2005, he acted in concert with Steven Armento, the man who did.
A jury acquitted Mr. Brancato of the murder charge last month. Mr. Armento, 51, was convicted of murder in a separate trial in October and was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Joseph Tacopina, Mr. Brancato’s lawyer, pleaded with Justice Marcus to impose the minimum sentence, citing cases in which first-time felony offenders like Mr. Brancato were given sentences toward the low end of the guidelines.
But the sentence did not surprise Mr. Tacopina, who said he knew that the minimum “was never a realistic sentence.”
“This judge had an enormous amount of pressure on him,” Mr. Tacopina said, referring to comments made by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg criticizing the jury’s verdict.
“For appointed officials to criticize the verdict, it makes you wonder why anyone would want to serve jury duty,” Mr. Tacopina said.
Mr. Tacopina urged the judge to consider sending his client for drug treatment, rather than further prison time.
Throughout the trial, the defense argued that Mr. Brancato had long been a drug addict, and said that on the night of the shooting he was high and trying to get into the house of a friend who had provided him with drugs many times.
In a brief statement delivered before announcing his sentence, Justice Marcus acknowledged that although Mr. Brancato’s battle with drugs was sad, “it does not excuse your role in those events.”
“While I accept that verdict, in sentencing you I cannot ignore the fact that as a result of the attempted burglary of which you were convicted, a brave, young police officer is dead,” the judge said.
According to trial testimony, Mr. Brancato and Mr. Armento could not get into the house of Mr. Brancato’s friend, Kenneth Scovotti, who, unknown to them, had died a few months earlier.
Mr. Brancato kicked out a window. They left briefly to go to another man’s house to try to get drugs, but were turned away and returned to Mr. Scovotti’s home.
Officer Enchautegui, a neighbor, was awakened by the breaking glass, called 911, then went outside to check on what was happening. In the ensuing confrontation, Officer Enchautegui, 28, shot both Mr. Brancato and Mr. Armento. But Mr. Armento fatally wounded the officer with a shot to the chest, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors argued that Mr. Brancato was guilty of felony murder, meaning that while he was committing a crime — burglary, in this case — his actions led to the death of another person. A critical point in the case was whether Mr. Brancato knew that Mr. Armento had a gun. Prosecutors argued that he did know, and presented a witness who testified that Mr. Armento brandished his gun at him earlier that night while Mr. Brancato was present.
Mr. Brancato denied knowing that Mr. Armento was armed.
With her face turning red with outrage at times, Teresa Gottlieb, the Bronx assistant district attorney who tried the case, told Justice Marcus before sentencing, “This case cries for the maximum.”
Ms. Gottlieb said she did not believe that Mr. Brancato was a changed man, referring to an episode in which he overdosed on drugs at the prison chapel.
“This is a person who only thinks of himself,” she said.
Speaking in a calm tone before he was sentenced, Mr. Brancato told Justice Marcus that he was eager to start his life anew.
“I’m not talking about resuming an acting career,” he said. “I am talking about being a good son, brother, friend and citizen.”
As the sentence was read, Mr. Brancato showed no expression and was led off in handcuffs.

For more about how he acted when he got out of the murder charge at his trial last month, see:

http://www.nypost.com/seven/12232008/ne ... 145568.htm

Trying him for murder was a farce. It was nothing but guilt-by-association. I'm glad he wasn't convicted for that.

JL, I see it much differently. He was voluntarily engaged in a burglary with another felon, an activity that, by its very nature, carries a high risk of violent injury to others. Many states have "felony murder" laws that impose on all co-conspirators strict liability for homicides committed in the course of a felony precisely because of the philosophy that one shouldn't escape personal responsibility for the ultimate crime when assisting in serious crimes that could forseeably lead to murder. Brancato didn't pull the trigger and may well not have personally intended or approved of the killing, but he chose to participate in a crime where serious injury or death to others often results, and that alone is reason for him to see serious jail time.

Apparently, the laws of New York already reflect significant mitigation for felony murder, since first person, first degree murder in almost every state will result in life sentences or executions. He only got 10 years, which sounds about right to me for the role he played in another person losing their life.

In any event, a sad situation all the way around.

So right, a sad tale. i remember him as the kid in "A Bronx Tale" with Chazz Palmintiei and RObert DeNiro- just a great little mob movie with a redemption factor. So weird to see him all grown up, and having chosen the wrong road- especially after that movie that showed him the right choice. He had it all...

I wonder if the family of the police officer take any gratification from seeing Tony and Pussy deal with him.

I know it sounds flippant, but if he had killed/colluded with someone who had killed a member of my family, I would take great pleasure in watching that scene and imaging it to be real.

Geez- i never thought of that! He could get out in 5 years with good behavior- must be hard to take for the victim's family.

It seems so realistic you could almost write a Sopranos episode about it!! I never liked his charecter which could be an indicator of one having good acting skills. But this behavior to me proves the opposite. That he was hired precisely because he was not acting the part. He operates similarly in real life to his ficticious charecters' life or vise versa. Its too bad he had to resort to this type of lifestyle for a living rather than making a living potraying that lifestyle. Its sad really. Im not laughing about it but it is why the show feels so real IMO. Look at the other "actors" that got into trouble.......

Exactly. They are the Real Deal!

badabellisima wrote:So right, a sad tale. i remember him as the kid in "A Bronx Tale" with Chazz Palmintiei and RObert DeNiro- just a great little mob movie with a redemption factor. So weird to see him all grown up, and having chosen the wrong road- especially after that movie that showed him the right choice. He had it all...

Wasn't Charmaine Bucco (I want to say Katherine Nucci, but without looking it up I know that's wrogn!) in A Bronx Tale, too?

Yes she was. She was the kids mother, De Niro's wife.