Lillo Brancato, Jr. (born August 30, 1976) is an American actor, perhaps best known for his role of "Calogero Anello," in Robert De Niro's 1993 directorial debut, A Bronx Tale. He also played Matthew Bevilaqua, a young mobster on The Sopranos. In December 2005, Brancato was charged with second-degree murder for his role in a burglary in the Bronx in which an off-duty police officer, Daniel Enchautegui, was fatally shot.
Brancato was born in Bogotá, Colombia. Adopted when he was four months old, he was raised by Italian-American parents, Lillo, Sr., (a builder) and Domenica (an electrolysist), in Yonkers, New York. Although he is of Colombian descent, Brancato has said, "I consider myself Italian. I was raised to eat pasta." Brancato was discovered while swimming at Jones Beach by a talent scout who noticed Brancato's resemblance to Robert De Niro. Brancato was a fan of De Niro's 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.
Brancato appeared in several episodes in the second season of The Sopranos, as Matthew Bevilaqua, a young mobster who was eventually murdered. He played a small part in Crimson Tide (1995) with Denzel Washington and Gene Hackman. He starred alongside Gregory Hines, Danny DeVito and Mark Wahlberg in the 1994 movie Renaissance Man. In 2001, he starred opposite fellow Sopranos cast member Drea de Matteo in Abel Ferrara's 'R Xmas.
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 that Brancato and his accomplice attempted to burglarize.
On June 10, 2005, Brancato was arrested by the Yonkers Police Department, in Yonkers, New York, and charged with seventh-degree misdemeanor criminal possession of a controlled substance. According to press reports, police 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.
On December 10, 2005, Brancato was arrested by the New York City Police Department in the Bronx on suspicion of murdering off-duty police officer Daniel Enchautegui. Enchautegui confronted Brancato, and his accomplice, 48-year-old Steven Armento, outside at a vacant house located at 3119 Arnow Place, next to his own, after hearing glass break. While Enchautegui waited for backup, a gunfight erupted. Enchautegui was shot and brought to the hospital where he died. Police arrested Brancato and Armento in the vicinity, both with multiple gunshot wounds and in critical condition. Armento, who is the father of Brancato's girlfriend Stephanie, was arraigned on first-degree murder. Brancato was arraigned on second-degree murder.
Coincidentally, Enchautegui lived in the same building (in the Pelham Bay section of the borough) that Brancato's "A Bronx Tale" co-star Francis Capra once lived. Officer Enchautegui had served with the New York City Police Department for three years and was assigned to the 40th Precinct in the Bronx. In the New York Post, Brancato apologized to Enchautegui's family for his actions. His apology was met with anger and was called, "...worthy of an Academy Award," by Enchautegui's sister.
In 2006, Brancato told New York Magazine that he believes his life story would be film-worthy. However, the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association stated that, in their opinion, Brancato should not be allowed to profit if a film is made about his life.
His attorney, Mel Sachs, died in 2006 of pancreatic cancer.
