Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy, Newsstand
If you live in or around the New York City area, you're no doubt well aware of the Lillo Brancato Jr. murder trial. Brancato Jr., who's most known for his six-episode stint on The Sopranos and for starring in Robert De Niro's A Bronx Tale as Calogero (or 'C'), was on trial for murdering an off-duty police officer after breaking into a house to obtain drugs with a friend. The friend, Steven Armento, was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison earlier this month. Brancato Jr. claimed he did not shoot the officer, but only broke a window in the house because he was suffering intense heroin withdrawal. The house, according to Brancato Jr., belonged to a Vietnam veteran who gave the men permission to come over from time to time to get drugs.But when no one answered the door that night, the two men -- itching for that next high -- decided to break in. That's when Daniel Enchautegui, a neighbor, came to check things out. Upon finding the two men breaking in, Armento shot Enchautegui, who returned fire hitting both Brancato Jr. and Armento several times. Apparently a jury found that Brancato Jr. had nothing to do with the murder and acquitted him of those charges, but did find him guilty of attempted burglary -- a charge that could send him to prison for up to 15 years (he's already served three).
