Lillo Brancato Jr.
| Lillo Brancato Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born |
March 30, 1976 Bogotá, Colombia |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Lillo Brancato |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1993–2007, 2014-present |
| Criminal charge | first-degree attempted burglary |
| Criminal penalty | 10 years in prison |
| Criminal status | paroled December 31, 2013 |
Lillo Brancato Jr. (born March 30, 1976) is an American actor, known for his performance as "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, New York in which an off-duty police officer, Daniel Enchautegui, confronted two burglars and was killed in a shootout. Brancato was subsequently acquitted of murder, but was convicted of first-degree attempted burglary and sentenced to 10 years in prison. He was released on parole on December 31, 2013. Co-defendant Steven Armento was convicted of firing the fatal shot in a separate trial and was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
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. 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. Lillo is the third cousin of American songwriter/lyricist Gregory France-Brancato.
Although he was born in Colombia, 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 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.
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