April 9, 2015 • 41 mins
Lillo Brancato Jr. stops through to discuss his incarceration, the death of the police officer during his crime, his attempt to fix his life, returning to acting and much more.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
The real people, real celebrity joined the breakfast more than
everybody is DJ en vi Angela, Ye, Charlemagne the guy.
We are the breakfast Club. We gotta guess with us
this morning. And you know what's so crazy, man, we'd
be having rappers in here, right who acts so hard
core and act like they didn't did so much and
having done nothing, they probably think you're a chef or something. Yeah,
(00:24):
you put in that work. Lelo Broncado Junior. Yes, thank
you morning. So you got talking to the Mike. We
know you from Sopranos, right, um, Bronx Tail in particular, though,
one of my favorite movies, Brox Tail Colo. How do
you say collogio was your role in Sopranos? Um? I
played Matthew Bevilaqua. I would say stockbroker, low level guy,
(00:47):
trying to get in with you know, Tony and those guys,
and uh, you know, ultimately you know I was killed
on the show. Yeah you really talk like that. Yeah
I don't know that. Oh yeah, yeah, that's my job. Now.
You served ten years in prison or to eight to
ten years I saved. I served eight out of a
(01:07):
ten years eight everteen year sentence for attempted burglary, right
and uh and all three the police officers was shot
actually during that robbery. Right, So what what I mean
you served your time so you can talk about it, right, Yeah,
if the statue limitations up, what happened? No, No, I didn't. Uh,
I was you know, I was convicted of the burglary,
(01:27):
you know. And then the commission of that crime. In
a commission of any felony, when someone it results in
the depth of someone else, they called that felony murder.
That's what I was charged with, not intentional murder. Um,
your friend who you were with is actually the person
that he's in jail for life, right, he got an
actual life. So explain to us what happened on that day,
December ten of two thousand and five. Um, you know,
(01:48):
at that time of my life, I was, you know,
addicted to drugs. I was addicted to crack, heroin, crack, Yeah,
both both both drugs and uh, you know, I mean,
you know, proud to shay I'm sober now eight years
but um, you know that being said, that night, you know,
we uh came to you know, uh, we got a
(02:08):
little desperate. Um, we couldn't find any drugs knowing at
anything I knew of a place where so you weren't
acting at that time. So she had no money. No,
we we did have money on us. It wasn't it
wasn't enough to buy some heroin. No, No, it wasn't
that we couldn't find heroin. The guys that we usually
go to ran out. It was too late. We had
(02:28):
money on us. It's not like we were going to
rob the house for you know, a VCR or something
that It was a house that I knew would have
prescription you know, pills because I knew the guy from
you know, way back when the prescription pills give you
the same high as heroin in some cases. Right, yeah,
you know you know opiates, know how to pay medication.
It's all the same, you know on uh you know,
on a your analysis, it would all come up the same. Gotcha.
(02:51):
And uh we went to the house. Um, you know,
I was really desperate to try to get in. Banged
on the window, made all kinds of noise. No one answered,
So eventually I broke the window. Um with your hand,
with my foot, yan, the one is a high bat. Yeah. Um,
(03:11):
you know they actually used my uh my boot and
as evidence was they had microscopic last shards in the
front which were consistent with the window. So you know,
there was no saying that I didn't break the glass.
Um The off duty police officer, Daniel Chotegy live next door.
(03:32):
Oh okay, okay, he was off duty. I heard he
had just finished the shift. Heard the noise came outside.
I was walking away from the window, and that's when
I heard a male voice. That's when I heard someone say,
don't move. And you know, like I said, I was
you know, it was high, I just small cracks. So
(03:54):
I was very jittery and I was paranoid. And when
when I heard the voice, don't move, you know, what
did I do? I moved, I turned around real fast,
and upon doing so, I was shot. Was shot two
two one two direct hits and one that grazed me
um where or where my abdomen um? And uh, you know,
(04:19):
and then I just seen like blood squirting out of
my stomach. I didn't, you know, I didn't know who
that was that shot me. And I was kind of
you know, I'm not gonna lie. I was afraid. You know,
it was unarmed. I didn't have a gun that night.
He said that name the other nights you might have
had one with No, no, no, no, no, no, never
carried a gun to my Okay, I mean I don't
feel sympathy though, because he was trying to bring in
(04:39):
somebody else, right, yeah, but your friend had a gun
on him, right, So what happened? So you got shot?
You fall on the floor. No, I didn't fall on
the floor. I Uh, my adrenaline kicked in and I
was trying to leave, trying to get, you know, as
far away from that situation as possible. And as I
was walking away, I heard gunshots. Um. And I didn't
(05:01):
know at the time that my co defendant was armed,
so I didn't know where all that was coming from.
But obviously a gunfight ensued between the two of them.
Um and uh, you know the all through the police
officer was hit with you know, he was hitting the
heart or the three fifty seven magnum and I'm coming
(05:23):
back from now, yeah, and and he was he was killed.
Were you were you mad at your cold, like, why
did you have to get into a gunfight with him? Well,
you know, not even that, not even that, I mean
even further back then that you know, why did you
even carry a gun and tell me that you had it,
because you know, at the situation, you know, I mean, yeah,
I was still someone pursuing an acting care I was
(05:44):
pursuing my addiction a little more, but I was still pursuing,
you know, an acting career. But do you also feel
like maybe he was defending you? Because if you're doing
are you doing burglary? And somebody has a gun and
you didn't say he announced himself as a police officer,
I shoot you twice? I mean he could have been
defending you. Well, yeah, that you know, that is one
way to look at it. Um, because he also got
(06:06):
shot nine times. So he got shot nine times. I
got shot two to three times. He lived, Yeah he lived?
Album Yeah how many bullet? So the cop he he
changed clips. Um, I don't know. I didn't. I didn't.
I didn't see what happened between them. I only heard
it right because I was already walking down the street.
Had two guns though, unless he reload, only got six shots, no, no, no,
(06:30):
three seven went the other way. So so yeah, you know,
and uh, and then the gunfight ended between the two.
I didn't see the aftermath or what happened. I was
already on the corner of you know, Westchester Revenue in
the Bronx and Arnal Place, and cops came on the scene.
(06:54):
They didn't they weren't called to the scene. There was
a bagel stored down the street and they were getting bagels,
heard the gunshots and heard the gunshots. So came over there.
And by the time they got there, I was on
the floor. I was on the corner, and I was like,
you know, fighting for my life. They didn't let you die,
but they probably know you had it. Didn't know what happened. Well,
they didn't know. They didn't know that there was an
(07:14):
off duty police officer dead. Three houses, but the neighbors
came outside and like calling them, like you know, and
then uh, and then they called what they called buses, ambulances, right,
they called the bus and they got they got three
of them over there, and we went to the hospital
and uh inside the ambulance. I remember trying to say
I didn't do anything, but for some reason, my whole
(07:34):
my voice you couldn't hear it. You did you did something.
They were looking at you like, oh, you did something.
You said, they're bleeding with gun shots? Yeah, right something? Why? Um?
And uh, you know, we bought to the hospital getting
the surgery. You know, they you know, they took my
spleen out, part of my calling I had a collapse
lung and then uh then I found out after coming
(07:56):
out of all of that, that that an off duty
police officer, so it was killed and uh, I mean,
you know whow I was really? So they pressed you
immediately about being an eyewitness. I'm sure, um, I can accomplish,
I would think too, well, even more than accomplish, because
(08:16):
they've seen, you know, the broken window so that you know,
this is there was a burglary in progress, and you know,
somebody was killed as a result of that. So it's
you know, an accomplished wouldn't have it wouldn't have been
as bad as actually being charged with murder itself. So
you know, we were, you know, charged with murder. You know,
before you know it, you had Bronx homicide detectives came
(08:38):
there and you know, we were interrogated at bedside, and uh,
you know the interrogation was you know, while I was
you know, in debated with tubes down my throat, you know,
and in what you know, the doctor called, uh the
expert called twilight sleep, and you know, because I was
administered like five different medications at the same time. And
(09:00):
this is the this is the method in which they
obtained you know, uh, statements of what happened. No words,
just affirmative, just nodding. No, excuse me, no lawyer, you
didn't have a lawyer. No, because they came in and
did that, you know before, Um my family was able
(09:22):
to say that he has a lawyer. So some No,
I mean yeah, I mean, like you said, you know,
did you tell him what you saw? Yeah? What I
saw was that I got shot and I was unarmed
and I didn't you know, have a gun. But at
the same time, I take, you know, full responsibility for
how my actions and you know, my drug addiction put
(09:43):
me there that night, and how it costs you know,
a heroic New York City police officers life. Did you
have to go understanding and tell you? Uh telling you.
They offered me a deal to do so, and I didn't,
and they offered me a deal of a three nine,
but there was nothing to say, so I took it
(10:03):
to trial. Um. They even offered me fifteen years before,
a week before jury selection, to not have to go
to trial. Um, well, you charged with a murder at
the time. Yeah, it was charged with murder. You took
that the trial of a cop. Yeah. I had a
you know, a very good lawyer. His name was Joe Tacopina,
you know, top notch attorney, and we were very uh
(10:24):
confident based on the cap. We were very confident based
on the facts in the case that you know, there
was there was no murder case. Um, I mean, you know,
a burglary case and an attempted burglary case was a
lot stronger. But we were you know, I took the
stand in my own defense a trial because you know,
(10:45):
I mean because you know this took place in the Bronx.
You know, it was in the Bronx Tail, so you know,
these juries are all from the Bronx. My lawyer thought
it would be the you know, best idea to do
so because they're gonna, you know, the jurors are gonna
want to they're gonna want to hear me. So that
after the Bronx Tale. Yeah, this this was just after
the Yes, this was yeah, this was two Broxtel. This
(11:06):
was like like thirteen years after Bronx Tail. So now
so now what's the up. So what's next for you?
Because you know, there's there's a mother that lost his son.
I'm sort there's some children that cops hate you. I
would never drive. They were actually protesting because you are
in a new movie and they didn't feel like anybody
should be casting you in a movie. The movies in Brooklyn,
(11:27):
right right, well, Brooklyn, and we also shot in Pennsylvania,
right Um. And you know, an opportunity that I was
very blessed to have been given and very thankful for.
You know, my friend Willie the Mayo and Paul Boorgayze,
they took a shot on me and you know gave me,
you know, the opportunity which I'm very thankful for. Um.
(11:49):
But you know, I even heard you guys say it,
and you know, in reference to the kid who got
the heart transplant, okay a little while ago, that everyone
deserves a second chance. I agree with that, and uh,
you know, I don't see why I would be any
different in that situation. Um, But you can see why
people will be upset though. Absolutely, there's no question about that.
(12:10):
But what I'm saying is I served my time. I
didn't take no shortcuts. I didn't you know, take the
stand on anyone. I put myself there that night, took
a huge gamble, went to trial, was confident in the
facts in the case, in my you know, involvement in
the the the situation or lack thereof. And you know,
(12:34):
while away, I you know, made the most of the time.
I got sober. How how did you get off crack
and herowin lot of time people go to jail, jail, Yeah, no,
you go to jail and get worse sometimes. Yeah. Yeah,
well I got high. I was getting high right, and
I overdosed in my cell and still continue to use
after that. But then, you know, I got eighty days
in the box, and when I went there that a
(12:56):
lot of you know, soul searching and thinking, no way
for you to get anything in you can get it
and then get it anywhere. Yeah, Um, Riker's Island, you
know it's readily available. You know, did you beat it
with help or like you? I can't believe you got
off cracking heroin cold Turkey. It's on you. Well, you know, initially,
you know, I had to. I had to because I
didn't know the ins and outs of Riker's Island. I
(13:18):
didn't know. But you know, as I became accustomed to
doing time and being in that situation, I you know,
was able to you know, find drugs and you know,
continue to use. You know, especially in that situation is
very painful. It's facing the rest of my life. You know.
For one night, um the overdose, still continued to use.
(13:41):
That was about a year after I've been at Riker's Island.
Then when I went to the box, I just I
got a visit from a couple of friends and that
visit changed my life. What did they say to you? Well,
they came in. I was already sitting there, handcuffed to
the whatever it was, the wall, the metal thing. And
now when they came in, you know, when I saw them,
(14:03):
you know, I had a smile on my face. I
was like happy to see them, and you know they didn't.
They didn't weren't too happy to see me. And they
said like, you know, what are you doing? You got
all these people that are here for you and want
to see you, you know, get through this, and you're
doing this. You're still you're still getting high, Like what's
wrong with you? And for some reason that day was
(14:24):
it just stuck and it really affected me and I
and I just made the decision that day that I
got to change my life. And uh that was November eighteenth,
two thousand and six, and I've never got high since then. Damn.
And now you know you said you first started using
drugs while you were filming a Bronx Tale. Yeah, well
(14:44):
the first time I ever smoked pot was was during
the Bronx Tale. So how did you graduate all the
way to cracking heroin from pot? It's you know, um
with it, Hollywood. I mean, I mean a little bit
of that. You know that definitely had a you know,
an influence you know the past that I you know,
eventually took. I mean, you know, being in that business,
(15:07):
it's just lucrative. So you know, you got money, you
got free time, and uh, you know it's a it's
it's a recipe for disaster. And you know, like any addiction,
it progresses gets worse, it doesn't get better. Now, now,
what about the family of the slain officer? And I
agree everybody deserves a second chance, but it's what you
do with that second chance, because no, no matter what,
(15:27):
even though you say you served your time, you know
that that man is not coming back. And I could
imagined him it was my dad or my son, and
and the guy saying, well, I served my time, and
you know, I'm sure the family like that doesn't mean
it's I means nothing. My guy's dad, my dad is dead,
or my son is dead. You know. So I think
people would be more welcome to give you a second
chance if there they're people could get the second chance.
(15:47):
Like the person that you killed could get a second chance.
He didn't have a gun, but every action is a reaction. Yeah,
but he led them to the house. He was like,
I know a house. I tell him on every time,
but you might not. If you don't want nothing bad
to happen, don't do nothing stupid, because anything can happened.
I could be in a car with a bunch of
knuckleheads and I do something and they do something, I'm
(16:08):
gonna be charged. So what what are you? Are you
doing anything for the family or like you're saying the
second chance, like yeah, well you know that's that's what
them you know. I mean, I think people who are
worthy of a second chance should definitely get one. And
I feel that, you know, my actions have you know,
spoken volumes of the person that I've become. I mean,
(16:31):
when you when you're incarcerated, it's the doc the Department
of Corrections to correct itself. And I truly believe that
I used the time for what it was intended for.
I went there, like I said, I got sober, which
is not easy. And also after I fought my case
and was ultimately acquitted to the murder and went upstate
(16:53):
convicted of an attempt at Burglary, I had sentenced to
ten years, so that would mean an additional five and
a half right from the you know, from the Riker's
Island point. So when I went up state, I still,
you know, I didn't have my g ed, so I
knew that was one of the first things I wanted
to do and U and it was satisfying, but I
(17:15):
just felt that I should use the time as wisely
as possible. So with whatever you know, money I had left,
I figured, you know, investing in my education because they
don't offer they offer high school in uh you know,
state correctional New York state correctional facilities. But I enrolled
in a male correspondence out of my own pocket accredited
(17:37):
school in Georgia nor of course, Georgia Ashworth College, and
I studied business management, and uh as you know, I was,
I was able to earn an associate's degree. I earned
sixty credits and it made a huge difference in my life,
you know, do a huge difference in my life. And uh,
you know, I came out and h haven't been in
(17:57):
trouble one time since I've been home, done anything for
the family though the family, But I've been to high schools,
I've been to colleges, addiction centers. I'm actually going someplace tomorrow.
Why haven't you reached out to the family. Absolutely, I
just don't think it's it's in the appropriate time yet
because they publicly, you know, I have denounced your role
(18:19):
and very upset with your role. You know they have,
of course, as they should be, you know, of course,
I you know, I would be the same way if
if the situation was you know, reversed, if that was
my brother. Absolutely, and you know, I definitely have empathy
and can put myself well, try to at least think
you know what they're thinking, and I understand exactly where
they're coming from. But I can't control the way they
(18:41):
think and feel. But what I can control is my
own actions, and I've tried to make them as positive
as possible. And what would you say? And then you,
I mean, what can you sorry? You know, I mean,
I don't think they want to hear you say, you know,
I didn't pull the trigger. They don't want to know
what right. They just want to at least, I mean,
at least they can look and see, you know, if
(19:01):
they're watching TV, like you know, if I was someplace,
you know, helping kids, you know, to deter them from
making mistakes that I made, and used the situation in
a positive way, you know. I mean, I've really, you know,
worked my butt off since I got home to show
people I'm a different person. If you didn't go to jail,
you might have ended up dead yourself, though, because I
(19:22):
remember reading about you getting pulled over you had a
heroin in the car, and that was a few months
was like a few months before that, you know, I
was on a you know, I was on a you know,
a downward spiral, and ultimately that you know, that night happened.
And you're right, if I hadn't got you know, locked
up that night and arrested, I probably would be dead
(19:44):
right now. I don't know too many people that came
back from a heroin, Like what's that highlight? Well, I
never I never used it intravenously. I never shot it
in my face. Sniffets sniffet um. The high, you know,
the high was, you know, I mean it's it's uh it.
You know, it's very deceiving and very you know, seductive.
(20:05):
But there's a huge price to pay for it, because
like anything else, it's always the best in the beginning.
And what that does is it imprints a memory in
your brain, a memory of euphoria that you never forget,
and every time you do it, you feel less and
less of that, and you chase it. And then you know,
(20:27):
with heroin, which is an opiate, is a physically addicting
drug because your body itself produces opiates. So when you're
giving your body opiates from an outside source, your body says,
we don't have to make them anymore. You're describing crack
first when you said to hide that, m no, talking
about heroin. Crack is not physically addicting, that's all in
(20:50):
the mind. You know, you could smoke crack for ten
days straight, take a nap, and you know it's like
nothing ever happened. But heroin is not like that. You
do a ten days straightoke, you to have, your body's
gonna want it and if you try to withdraw yourself.
I know I've seen people there like shaking and slating
and throwing. A very horrible feeling and something that no
one should ever have to go through, because I myself
(21:12):
seen you know, you know, and have been in the
grips of addiction. And that's why I choose to spend
my time informing and using the experience to deter people
from ever getting into that situation themselves, right and that
you know, at the same time, that helps me to
stay on the right path. Because when you were on
(21:33):
Markers Island, they didn't have you in general population. No,
they had me what was called CMC Central Monitored Case
High Profile Cases. It was you know, like you know,
any any movement has to be you know, they have
to call Albany. Like it's it's not as if you're
not a high if you're not CMC and you know
(21:54):
saying you know, you're in seven cell and you're sink broke.
Now you want to move to eight cell because they
got you know, the sinks. You know it works. You
can't just do that because being a CMC, that has
to be you know, they have to make a call
to Albany and say, well, listen, you know this CMC
so and so wants to move to another sell for
(22:15):
this reason and that they have to approve it right days. Yeah,
you know, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes it does. And I
know Plexico Burrs was in there, but he wasn't in
rikers Out. He wasn't rikers on, but not when I
was there. We were up state together. Okay, we were
up state together. We were in Oneida in UM two
from two thousand and nine to two thousand and eleven.
(22:35):
I remember you got there was like September and then
he got released in like June of two thousand eleven.
Why didn't have you in a general pop Well, because
I would I would think, I mean sadly some of
the imags would look at you as the hero because
you was in a situation where cop got killed. Um well,
I guess just because of the nature of the case
and it was high profile. I mean, you had other
guys with cases like mine, you know, other guys involved
(22:59):
in the same type of stuff where I was. You know,
but it's just high profile in prison because you knew
the cops at it out for you. Uh yeah, I'm
not gonna lie and say you know never that I
wasn't um. But yeah, at times did they ever do
anything to you? No, stove you out, No, I don't
(23:22):
let you watch beat you up. I think you know
it's all about in the way you carry yourself. Um,
And you know you just mind your business and just
do your time. You're gonna be all right. And what
about your cody? Have you spoke to him while you
were in I spoke to him out outside. Well, I
haven't spoke to him since, you know, since I mean
we you know, like you know, through people in the neighborhood.
(23:45):
You know, it was it was you know, so and
so said Alowe, you know, tell him a law. But
when we weren't Rikers Island together, we used to see
each other. When we used to go to court. We
were in different buildings, but the ESCO Emergency Service Unit
because we didn't go in the bus because it was
a high profile. So we'd go in the van meet
him and maybe a few other you know, high profile guys,
and uh, we used to see each other in the
(24:05):
van and you know, and uh, you know, go to court. Um.
But then you know we had separate trials. Did you
think you do you think he did he think you
read it him up. No, absolutely not, absolutely not. I
mean that's all you know, that's all. I mean, you
can go online and see that. You know, none of
that happened. I took it to trial. You know, it
was a you know, a trial of you know, the
(24:28):
consistent of over thirty days. A guy who tells on
someone doesn't get ten years for an attempt at burglary
right now, what about that? How much did that trial
cost you? UM? Cost me about two hundred and fifty thousand. Oh,
you had a real lawyer. Yeah, I mean I think
he was gonna hand a Craig right hand the money.
He ain't had the money. He had money, drugs, he
(24:48):
just didn't. We weren't, like I said, we weren't you know,
like two burglars going to robber, you know, just couldn't
find anybody. Dealer wasn't nowhere. He ran out the other
guy that you know, well when it rains, it paused.
There was nothing around. So now since you've gotten out, though,
people have reached out to you and tried to help you,
and you you have been casting in a couple of
(25:09):
movies and um, I even saw you did a music
video with a pop star and people were angry about well,
we never the video never went through right because of
all the commotion that you know, my involvement was causing.
They put the kabash on it and they never went
through video. Was there a girl on Natalie she's a
(25:32):
Russian pop singer. So um, And then you got casting
in this Alec Baldwin film and so but that's good
to go like filming. I know there's been some issues
with people protesting, but you're solidified in that, right. No,
that we already. I I'm already, it's already. I'm already
shot my scenes. Do anybody say anything you like the
actors like Alex Steward, Why didn't you? Oh? I didn't
(25:54):
work with him. Oh, he's in the film. Mike Tyson
is in the film, Michael Madson and a Bella Siura.
You know, Danny Glover, William de Mayo. Um, you talk
to Mike. I'm sure he understands. No, I didn't. I didn't.
I didn't. I didn't speak to Mike. But I have
a picture of Mike when I was on the cover
of the Post last week. I have a picture of
(26:16):
Mike holding up the paper. Yeah, so that was cool,
you know, Um, yeah, no, a guy like that, I mean,
he can definitely understand where I'm coming from. He was
in a you know, do you think people ever forgive you?
I think, you know, when enough time goes on and
people see, you know, through my actions that you know,
this guy's really changed. I think, you know, I'll I'll
(26:36):
be worthy of it, and I think people eventually, you
mean everyone, No, but I think that I'm I'm the path,
you know, with the path that I'm on, I think
that I will be able to convince you know, people
because it's from the heart that I have changed. Will
you ever forgive yourself? Um? Yeah, I mean, you know,
(27:01):
I'm you know, I'm proud of the person that I've
become and that I was able to turn such a
negative into a positive. And you know, like when I
talk to these kids at high schools and colleges and
I see the look on their faces when I'm speaking
to them, it's just like such a fulfilling feeling to
be able to do that, and to you know, even
I mean, you're not going to be able to change
(27:23):
or you know, every single one of them, but if
you change five, that's you know, that's huge and this
is you doing this on your note, on your own
is not a condition of your No, no, no, absolutely not,
absolutely not. It just that's you know, this is what
this is what God wanted. You know a lot of
my friends wanted to cop to get no. Absolutely no,
absolutely not. Um but this is what. This is why
(27:46):
God so fit to it that I didn't get convicted
of murder and I didn't get killed. I'm still alive
for a reason, Like everything in life happens for a reason,
and that reason wasn't for me to be released after
eight years and go back to doing the same the
same stuff. Absolutely it was to come out and make
(28:07):
a difference in my own life and in other people's lives.
That's what I do. I read that you're also playing
a priest in a movie. Is that true? Yes? Right?
That was? That was That was That was my first role.
It wasn't as big as a film as the one
I just you know completed, right, but you know that one,
you know has Eric Roberts, got a nice cast as well.
(28:27):
They didn't do no background check on that one, no,
so but you know when they offered me that film,
the kid was from Yonker's His name is Frankie came
to my house with a box of cookies and a script.
Literally came to my house because you know we went
to the same high schools. Much younger than me. Rang
my doorbell and you know, said listen, I got the script.
(28:49):
I wrote it. You know we're gonna we got some
money and you know we want you to be in it,
you know, and I really look up to you. Bought
the cookies we able to eat. Yeah, that's the weird offering. Yeah,
like a mix, like an assortment, a different you know
you recording antically you don't drink right now, drink. I
did read an article about you're going to clubs and
(29:11):
how a lot of the people in the clubs, the owners,
they feel like they don't want to. I want twice.
You know I can't just you know, go to like today.
To be here, I had to get a travel pass.
I have it in my bag from my paroval officer
to you know travel I'm restricted my traveling. You know,
I'm restricted into where where I travel. Um, I cannot
(29:33):
travel into any of the five boroughs without a travel
pass from my parole officer. What do you say? You say, yer?
Are you not allowed to drink? Or anything or is
that a condition of your Absolutely, yeah, that's one of
those stipulations. But at the same time, I know it's
my worst enemy because I know if I have, you know,
one drink, it turns me into a different person, and
it's going to bring me back to where I was.
(29:54):
And you know, even and maybe this time I'm not
going to be as lucky. But about your family where
they're very supportive of you while you were aware or
and the whole time that you were on drugs, did
they know did they say, okay, you know he's on
heroin and did they talk to you, sit you down
or was it something that you were able to hide
from the No, no, no, it got to the point
where there was no hiding it. I was, you know,
(30:14):
I mean I was at rock bottom pretty much. I
mean I was as bad as you get. And you know,
my mom would cry and uh, you know, my mom
and dad were just like, you know, so depressed on
what I had become. My brother wouldn't even talk to me,
you know, I mean, I was I was a crackhead,
you know, I mean, you know, there's no other way
to put it, right. I mean, did you clean up
(30:34):
stuff around the house for him, like, did were you
good with your hands maintenance? You know a lot of
crackheads in the hood, they're good with the hands. It's
good cheap label. No, no, I was. I didn't do
any of that. I was usually out. Yeah, money man,
he's not a typical crackhead. What are you doing cleaning?
Cause number this guy right now. Listen, we had this
(30:55):
discussion the other day. What do you think it's worse
alcohol or crack? You know what they equally is bad.
There equally is bad. Let me put it to you
this way. Detoxing from crack, it's very uncomfortable and you'll
go through the shakes and you'll you know you're sweat
(31:16):
and you know you'll come down really odd, but you
won't die. If you're an alcoholic and you drink every
day for a certain amount of time, you cannot just
stop because you will die. Okay, you need librium. People
you know, are very misconceived about you know. Alcohol. Alcohol
(31:37):
is a drug. Also rightly it happens to be legal,
but at the same time, it's just as destructive as
any of those other drugs. And usually it's the catalyst
because once you drink, your judgment becomes impaired, and all
the good things that you put in place out the
window because now you think differently, you know. So you
(32:00):
know I got to say they're equally as bad. Thank
you for proving me an envy right now, he said
equally as bad. You said, that's not proving listening. So
um you UM, I don't want to ask you just now. Oh,
do you have any remorse when you're in jail for
the cop Absolutely, I still got remorse. I mean because
I feel like you was more sorry for yourself than it. No,
I mean, this is listen. You know, I accepted, I
(32:21):
accepted responsibility, and I still do it for my actions,
my drug addiction. How they made a contribution in the
death of that heroic police officer Daniel. You know, that's
something that I got to live with for the rest
of my life. There's not one day that goes by
that I don't think of December tenth, two thousand and
five at least one time. Okay, sometimes it's twenty times,
(32:44):
but at least one time, and say, damn, you know,
I wish I could go back and change that night,
and you know, and that guy would be alive. Still,
you know, do you think that much time when you
got that time, do you think it was so much
time for you? Since you said you didn't have anything
to do with the shooting and put a typical robbery
case probably would have got a year. Um. Well, the
(33:04):
sentencing guidelines since it was an attempt at burglary in
the first degree, it was a sentencing guideline of three
and a half to fifteen years. Judge gave me ten
my first felony. You know, there was other cases in
the same you know, in Bronx County that my lawyer
spoke about in front of the judge prior to being sentenced.
(33:27):
Guys with two and three felonies in the same county
the same charge. We're getting seven and eight years and
I got ten my first felony. But then someone died
as well, right right? You know, do I think it
was excessive? I don't want to use the word excessive,
because I truly believe that it was you know, I mean,
(33:49):
the sentence imposed came out of the judge's mouth, but
I truly believe that the sentence imposed was one by God,
because I think that he that is the amount of
time that he thought that I needed, right and might
blessed that it wasn't worse than that. It could have
went way worse than that. Absolutely, I could have been
convicted of murder too, and I would have got a
(34:10):
twenty to life or a twenty five to life. Now,
for our local listeners, west Chester Young because that seems
like a pretty bad county as far as police in
the court systems, do you agree Westchester County tougher than
New York? I would say as far as being able
to take a case like that to trial and being victorious, well,
you you rarely see that in that in that county.
(34:31):
I think. I think with that same case, with that case,
um my lawyers, you know, and the lawyers that I
have spoken to all said that I was lucky that
that kind of case happened in the Bronx because you're
you're going to get the best jurors in the Bronx.
(34:53):
Had it happened in west Chester County, yeah, it would
have been a very good shot. That a very tough place.
I would have you know, maybe in a situation like that,
maybe I wouldn't have taken it to trial. We heard
from Robert de Niro, No, did you ever have a
relationship with him? At all. Yeah, absolutely, yeah, we did.
(35:14):
You know, that was his directorial, the first movie he
ever directed. And you know, did he turn you on
the drugs? No? No, he spot he did the exact opposite.
He tried to you know, he tried to tell me,
and he even came to my house and he went
to the wrong house. He rang the next little neighbors.
That's that's an awkward intervention. And I'm trying to intervene.
I go to the wrong guy's house. No, but no,
(35:36):
but he's you know, he's I mean, what a great guy.
I mean, you know, I mean, the guy taught me
so much. And to give a you know, you know,
an unknown at fifteen years old, the shot of a lifetime.
You do look like it could be you look like
Robert there a little bit. You know, it made sense,
and you know, I mean the decisions that I made
in my life definitely had to you know, let him down.
(35:56):
And I you know, I don't. I mean, I understand
that he hasn't reached out, but at the same time,
he still hadn't. He never said anything negative. He kind
of like, you know, just said that it was unfortunate
for everyone involved, which you know is what you're supposed
to say in that situation, right, and you know, I
(36:17):
mean I haven't reached out to him, but you know
one day after, you know, I mean, yeah, after, I
truly believe, I mean, I think it's still too whirling now.
I mean, not reach out to him for a job,
reach out to him just to make things right and
just to look in his eyes and say, you know,
do the family first though before Robin? Right, Yeah, no, absolutely,
(36:38):
I I mean I would have did that already. Believe me.
I want to sit ye and say, you know, listen,
you know, you know I'm truly am you know, I
truly apologize and I am really sorry. But you say,
you know what, they're gonna see this. So if you
had something to say to them right now, I had
something to say to them right now, you know. I mean,
you know, I'm sorry, you know, for your loss, and
(37:00):
I'm sorry for my involvement, you know, but please find
it in your heart to forgive me. You know, I
didn't you know, I wasn't. I didn't. You know, I
wasn't the one who who killed you know, your brother,
and you know, hopefully in time and you know, even
if there was anything I can do for them, I
(37:21):
would do it, you know, but I just you know,
with the situation, it's going to be really hard to
get them to forgive you and to open up to
you in a way which was you know, it almost
becomes amicable. I don't think that's ever a possibility. I
really don't, you know, which I understand. I'm not. I'm
(37:44):
not mad about it, you know, I understand because you know,
in the situation was reversed, I probably I don't know
what I would do to forgive you. It might help
them to heal as well. Yeah, do you feel like
she'll get blackballed for anything in the future, Like I've
seen Chad's commentary has spoken out and said that you
better not try to reach out to him, and right,
(38:04):
he would never reach out to you because he was
in a Bronx tale with you. Although right, do you
feel like there's certain roles or moving forward that you
might get black balled? Um? Yeah, absolutely, I think to
a certain extent that would definitely happen. I mean there
are you know, I mean, it's a business, and in
that business there are all different kinds of people, and
(38:24):
there are some that will be more willing to give
you the opportunity and maybe know someone who was in
a situation where they were involved in, you know, a
drug addiction, and you know can understand and empathize and
what you went through and how it was the drugs
that put you in that situation. But now that you've
used the situation and made yourself a better person. You know,
(38:46):
I tend narcotics anonymous meetings three to five times a week,
try to help anyone in that situation, right, you know,
and try to talk to them. And you know what
I think about you were in prison, did you write
a did you think about writing your man um Like
I said, the first three years in rykazal And I
couldn't think about anything else but that case. I had
(39:07):
a case file, the whole case files was like, you know,
a stack of papers that I used to have, you know,
laid out on my bed and try to strategize. And
you know, I was in the law library a lot
and learning how to shepherdize cases in different case law
pertaining to that case and the charges that I was facing.
Trying to you know, educate myself as much possible in
(39:28):
the law, to know what I was up against and
to help my lawyer, help me. So that's all I
could think about at that time. And then when I
was you know, acquitted of the murder and you know,
had an additional five and a half to serve, I
spent my time educating myself and learning business management. It's
a it's a major that encompasses a lot. I took
you know, four accounting courses, financial management, politics, psychology. I
(39:53):
learned so much and you know, and truly say I'm
a much better person for it. You know, we appreciate
you for winning us. Yeah, which the best man yeahs
on your request to redemption. Yeah, thank you, Thank you
guys for the opportunity. Um, the movie. The movies could
have come out I think early next year. And I
also want to mention one other thing. I got something that,
(40:15):
uh is in the works right now, a film that
we currently trying to raise money. A film called Valhalla,
which is the Westchester County Jail. It's a jail movie. Um,
it's a jail movie, but it's more about what I
just spoke about, Like, the most important thing to somebody
incarcerated is not you know, UH, is not beating someone
up or you know, the most important thing to someone
(40:36):
who's who's locked up is their freedom and how did
they get that freedom? And that's by learning the law.
And when I read the script, I said, wow, that's
that's really the way this is. That's an accurate depiction.
So for you know, for that reason, I'm very passionate
about the project because I want to kind of show
people what jails really like. And uh, you know, so
we're we're really close to securing the financing. That's something
(40:58):
that I would be a producer on and also starring.
We're looking to start by June July on that and Valhalla. Yes,
with that being said, thank you all for the opportunity.
I appreciate it. Thank you so much. Lelo Broncado Junior
is the Breakfast Club. Good morning,
The real people, real celebrity joined the breakfast more than
everybody is DJ en vi Angela, Ye, Charlemagne the guy.
We are the breakfast Club. We gotta guess with us
this morning. And you know what's so crazy, man, we'd
be having rappers in here, right who acts so hard
core and act like they didn't did so much and
having done nothing, they probably think you're a chef or something. Yeah,
(00:24):
you put in that work. Lelo Broncado Junior. Yes, thank
you morning. So you got talking to the Mike. We
know you from Sopranos, right, um, Bronx Tail in particular, though,
one of my favorite movies, Brox Tail Colo. How do
you say collogio was your role in Sopranos? Um? I
played Matthew Bevilaqua. I would say stockbroker, low level guy,
(00:47):
trying to get in with you know, Tony and those guys,
and uh, you know, ultimately you know I was killed
on the show. Yeah you really talk like that. Yeah
I don't know that. Oh yeah, yeah, that's my job. Now.
You served ten years in prison or to eight to
ten years I saved. I served eight out of a
(01:07):
ten years eight everteen year sentence for attempted burglary, right
and uh and all three the police officers was shot
actually during that robbery. Right, So what what I mean
you served your time so you can talk about it, right, Yeah,
if the statue limitations up, what happened? No, No, I didn't. Uh,
I was you know, I was convicted of the burglary,
(01:27):
you know. And then the commission of that crime. In
a commission of any felony, when someone it results in
the depth of someone else, they called that felony murder.
That's what I was charged with, not intentional murder. Um,
your friend who you were with is actually the person
that he's in jail for life, right, he got an
actual life. So explain to us what happened on that day,
December ten of two thousand and five. Um, you know,
(01:48):
at that time of my life, I was, you know,
addicted to drugs. I was addicted to crack, heroin, crack, Yeah,
both both both drugs and uh, you know, I mean,
you know, proud to shay I'm sober now eight years
but um, you know that being said, that night, you know,
we uh came to you know, uh, we got a
(02:08):
little desperate. Um, we couldn't find any drugs knowing at
anything I knew of a place where so you weren't
acting at that time. So she had no money. No,
we we did have money on us. It wasn't it
wasn't enough to buy some heroin. No, No, it wasn't
that we couldn't find heroin. The guys that we usually
go to ran out. It was too late. We had
(02:28):
money on us. It's not like we were going to
rob the house for you know, a VCR or something
that It was a house that I knew would have
prescription you know, pills because I knew the guy from
you know, way back when the prescription pills give you
the same high as heroin in some cases. Right, yeah,
you know you know opiates, know how to pay medication.
It's all the same, you know on uh you know,
on a your analysis, it would all come up the same. Gotcha.
(02:51):
And uh we went to the house. Um, you know,
I was really desperate to try to get in. Banged
on the window, made all kinds of noise. No one answered,
So eventually I broke the window. Um with your hand,
with my foot, yan, the one is a high bat. Yeah. Um,
(03:11):
you know they actually used my uh my boot and
as evidence was they had microscopic last shards in the
front which were consistent with the window. So you know,
there was no saying that I didn't break the glass.
Um The off duty police officer, Daniel Chotegy live next door.
(03:32):
Oh okay, okay, he was off duty. I heard he
had just finished the shift. Heard the noise came outside.
I was walking away from the window, and that's when
I heard a male voice. That's when I heard someone say,
don't move. And you know, like I said, I was
you know, it was high, I just small cracks. So
(03:54):
I was very jittery and I was paranoid. And when
when I heard the voice, don't move, you know, what
did I do? I moved, I turned around real fast,
and upon doing so, I was shot. Was shot two
two one two direct hits and one that grazed me
um where or where my abdomen um? And uh, you know,
(04:19):
and then I just seen like blood squirting out of
my stomach. I didn't, you know, I didn't know who
that was that shot me. And I was kind of
you know, I'm not gonna lie. I was afraid. You know,
it was unarmed. I didn't have a gun that night.
He said that name the other nights you might have
had one with No, no, no, no, no, no, never
carried a gun to my Okay, I mean I don't
feel sympathy though, because he was trying to bring in
(04:39):
somebody else, right, yeah, but your friend had a gun
on him, right, So what happened? So you got shot?
You fall on the floor. No, I didn't fall on
the floor. I Uh, my adrenaline kicked in and I
was trying to leave, trying to get, you know, as
far away from that situation as possible. And as I
was walking away, I heard gunshots. Um. And I didn't
(05:01):
know at the time that my co defendant was armed,
so I didn't know where all that was coming from.
But obviously a gunfight ensued between the two of them.
Um and uh, you know the all through the police
officer was hit with you know, he was hitting the
heart or the three fifty seven magnum and I'm coming
(05:23):
back from now, yeah, and and he was he was killed.
Were you were you mad at your cold, like, why
did you have to get into a gunfight with him? Well,
you know, not even that, not even that, I mean
even further back then that you know, why did you
even carry a gun and tell me that you had it,
because you know, at the situation, you know, I mean, yeah,
I was still someone pursuing an acting care I was
(05:44):
pursuing my addiction a little more, but I was still pursuing,
you know, an acting career. But do you also feel
like maybe he was defending you? Because if you're doing
are you doing burglary? And somebody has a gun and
you didn't say he announced himself as a police officer,
I shoot you twice? I mean he could have been
defending you. Well, yeah, that you know, that is one
way to look at it. Um, because he also got
(06:06):
shot nine times. So he got shot nine times. I
got shot two to three times. He lived, Yeah he lived?
Album Yeah how many bullet? So the cop he he
changed clips. Um, I don't know. I didn't. I didn't.
I didn't see what happened between them. I only heard
it right because I was already walking down the street.
Had two guns though, unless he reload, only got six shots, no, no, no,
(06:30):
three seven went the other way. So so yeah, you know,
and uh, and then the gunfight ended between the two.
I didn't see the aftermath or what happened. I was
already on the corner of you know, Westchester Revenue in
the Bronx and Arnal Place, and cops came on the scene.
(06:54):
They didn't they weren't called to the scene. There was
a bagel stored down the street and they were getting bagels,
heard the gunshots and heard the gunshots. So came over there.
And by the time they got there, I was on
the floor. I was on the corner, and I was like,
you know, fighting for my life. They didn't let you die,
but they probably know you had it. Didn't know what happened. Well,
they didn't know. They didn't know that there was an
(07:14):
off duty police officer dead. Three houses, but the neighbors
came outside and like calling them, like you know, and
then uh, and then they called what they called buses, ambulances, right,
they called the bus and they got they got three
of them over there, and we went to the hospital
and uh inside the ambulance. I remember trying to say
I didn't do anything, but for some reason, my whole
(07:34):
my voice you couldn't hear it. You did you did something.
They were looking at you like, oh, you did something.
You said, they're bleeding with gun shots? Yeah, right something? Why? Um?
And uh, you know, we bought to the hospital getting
the surgery. You know, they you know, they took my
spleen out, part of my calling I had a collapse
lung and then uh then I found out after coming
(07:56):
out of all of that, that that an off duty
police officer, so it was killed and uh, I mean,
you know whow I was really? So they pressed you
immediately about being an eyewitness. I'm sure, um, I can accomplish,
I would think too, well, even more than accomplish, because
(08:16):
they've seen, you know, the broken window so that you know,
this is there was a burglary in progress, and you know,
somebody was killed as a result of that. So it's
you know, an accomplished wouldn't have it wouldn't have been
as bad as actually being charged with murder itself. So
you know, we were, you know, charged with murder. You know,
before you know it, you had Bronx homicide detectives came
(08:38):
there and you know, we were interrogated at bedside, and uh,
you know the interrogation was you know, while I was
you know, in debated with tubes down my throat, you know,
and in what you know, the doctor called, uh the
expert called twilight sleep, and you know, because I was
administered like five different medications at the same time. And
(09:00):
this is the this is the method in which they
obtained you know, uh, statements of what happened. No words,
just affirmative, just nodding. No, excuse me, no lawyer, you
didn't have a lawyer. No, because they came in and
did that, you know before, Um my family was able
(09:22):
to say that he has a lawyer. So some No,
I mean yeah, I mean, like you said, you know,
did you tell him what you saw? Yeah? What I
saw was that I got shot and I was unarmed
and I didn't you know, have a gun. But at
the same time, I take, you know, full responsibility for
how my actions and you know, my drug addiction put
(09:43):
me there that night, and how it costs you know,
a heroic New York City police officers life. Did you
have to go understanding and tell you? Uh telling you.
They offered me a deal to do so, and I didn't,
and they offered me a deal of a three nine,
but there was nothing to say, so I took it
(10:03):
to trial. Um. They even offered me fifteen years before,
a week before jury selection, to not have to go
to trial. Um, well, you charged with a murder at
the time. Yeah, it was charged with murder. You took
that the trial of a cop. Yeah. I had a
you know, a very good lawyer. His name was Joe Tacopina,
you know, top notch attorney, and we were very uh
(10:24):
confident based on the cap. We were very confident based
on the facts in the case that you know, there
was there was no murder case. Um, I mean, you know,
a burglary case and an attempted burglary case was a
lot stronger. But we were you know, I took the
stand in my own defense a trial because you know,
(10:45):
I mean because you know this took place in the Bronx.
You know, it was in the Bronx Tail, so you know,
these juries are all from the Bronx. My lawyer thought
it would be the you know, best idea to do
so because they're gonna, you know, the jurors are gonna
want to they're gonna want to hear me. So that
after the Bronx Tale. Yeah, this this was just after
the Yes, this was yeah, this was two Broxtel. This
(11:06):
was like like thirteen years after Bronx Tail. So now
so now what's the up. So what's next for you?
Because you know, there's there's a mother that lost his son.
I'm sort there's some children that cops hate you. I
would never drive. They were actually protesting because you are
in a new movie and they didn't feel like anybody
should be casting you in a movie. The movies in Brooklyn,
(11:27):
right right, well, Brooklyn, and we also shot in Pennsylvania,
right Um. And you know, an opportunity that I was
very blessed to have been given and very thankful for.
You know, my friend Willie the Mayo and Paul Boorgayze,
they took a shot on me and you know gave me,
you know, the opportunity which I'm very thankful for. Um.
(11:49):
But you know, I even heard you guys say it,
and you know, in reference to the kid who got
the heart transplant, okay a little while ago, that everyone
deserves a second chance. I agree with that, and uh,
you know, I don't see why I would be any
different in that situation. Um, But you can see why
people will be upset though. Absolutely, there's no question about that.
(12:10):
But what I'm saying is I served my time. I
didn't take no shortcuts. I didn't you know, take the
stand on anyone. I put myself there that night, took
a huge gamble, went to trial, was confident in the
facts in the case, in my you know, involvement in
the the the situation or lack thereof. And you know,
(12:34):
while away, I you know, made the most of the time.
I got sober. How how did you get off crack
and herowin lot of time people go to jail, jail, Yeah, no,
you go to jail and get worse sometimes. Yeah. Yeah,
well I got high. I was getting high right, and
I overdosed in my cell and still continue to use
after that. But then, you know, I got eighty days
in the box, and when I went there that a
(12:56):
lot of you know, soul searching and thinking, no way
for you to get anything in you can get it
and then get it anywhere. Yeah, Um, Riker's Island, you
know it's readily available. You know, did you beat it
with help or like you? I can't believe you got
off cracking heroin cold Turkey. It's on you. Well, you know, initially,
you know, I had to. I had to because I
didn't know the ins and outs of Riker's Island. I
(13:18):
didn't know. But you know, as I became accustomed to
doing time and being in that situation, I you know,
was able to you know, find drugs and you know,
continue to use. You know, especially in that situation is
very painful. It's facing the rest of my life. You know.
For one night, um the overdose, still continued to use.
(13:41):
That was about a year after I've been at Riker's Island.
Then when I went to the box, I just I
got a visit from a couple of friends and that
visit changed my life. What did they say to you? Well,
they came in. I was already sitting there, handcuffed to
the whatever it was, the wall, the metal thing. And
now when they came in, you know, when I saw them,
(14:03):
you know, I had a smile on my face. I
was like happy to see them, and you know they didn't.
They didn't weren't too happy to see me. And they
said like, you know, what are you doing? You got
all these people that are here for you and want
to see you, you know, get through this, and you're
doing this. You're still you're still getting high, Like what's
wrong with you? And for some reason that day was
(14:24):
it just stuck and it really affected me and I
and I just made the decision that day that I
got to change my life. And uh that was November eighteenth,
two thousand and six, and I've never got high since then. Damn.
And now you know you said you first started using
drugs while you were filming a Bronx Tale. Yeah, well
(14:44):
the first time I ever smoked pot was was during
the Bronx Tale. So how did you graduate all the
way to cracking heroin from pot? It's you know, um
with it, Hollywood. I mean, I mean a little bit
of that. You know that definitely had a you know,
an influence you know the past that I you know,
eventually took. I mean, you know, being in that business,
(15:07):
it's just lucrative. So you know, you got money, you
got free time, and uh, you know it's a it's
it's a recipe for disaster. And you know, like any addiction,
it progresses gets worse, it doesn't get better. Now, now,
what about the family of the slain officer? And I
agree everybody deserves a second chance, but it's what you
do with that second chance, because no, no matter what,
(15:27):
even though you say you served your time, you know
that that man is not coming back. And I could
imagined him it was my dad or my son, and
and the guy saying, well, I served my time, and
you know, I'm sure the family like that doesn't mean
it's I means nothing. My guy's dad, my dad is dead,
or my son is dead. You know. So I think
people would be more welcome to give you a second
chance if there they're people could get the second chance.
(15:47):
Like the person that you killed could get a second chance.
He didn't have a gun, but every action is a reaction. Yeah,
but he led them to the house. He was like,
I know a house. I tell him on every time,
but you might not. If you don't want nothing bad
to happen, don't do nothing stupid, because anything can happened.
I could be in a car with a bunch of
knuckleheads and I do something and they do something, I'm
(16:08):
gonna be charged. So what what are you? Are you
doing anything for the family or like you're saying the
second chance, like yeah, well you know that's that's what
them you know. I mean, I think people who are
worthy of a second chance should definitely get one. And
I feel that, you know, my actions have you know,
spoken volumes of the person that I've become. I mean,
(16:31):
when you when you're incarcerated, it's the doc the Department
of Corrections to correct itself. And I truly believe that
I used the time for what it was intended for.
I went there, like I said, I got sober, which
is not easy. And also after I fought my case
and was ultimately acquitted to the murder and went upstate
(16:53):
convicted of an attempt at Burglary, I had sentenced to
ten years, so that would mean an additional five and
a half right from the you know, from the Riker's
Island point. So when I went up state, I still,
you know, I didn't have my g ed, so I
knew that was one of the first things I wanted
to do and U and it was satisfying, but I
(17:15):
just felt that I should use the time as wisely
as possible. So with whatever you know, money I had left,
I figured, you know, investing in my education because they
don't offer they offer high school in uh you know,
state correctional New York state correctional facilities. But I enrolled
in a male correspondence out of my own pocket accredited
(17:37):
school in Georgia nor of course, Georgia Ashworth College, and
I studied business management, and uh as you know, I was,
I was able to earn an associate's degree. I earned
sixty credits and it made a huge difference in my life,
you know, do a huge difference in my life. And uh,
you know, I came out and h haven't been in
(17:57):
trouble one time since I've been home, done anything for
the family though the family, But I've been to high schools,
I've been to colleges, addiction centers. I'm actually going someplace tomorrow.
Why haven't you reached out to the family. Absolutely, I
just don't think it's it's in the appropriate time yet
because they publicly, you know, I have denounced your role
(18:19):
and very upset with your role. You know they have,
of course, as they should be, you know, of course,
I you know, I would be the same way if
if the situation was you know, reversed, if that was
my brother. Absolutely, and you know, I definitely have empathy
and can put myself well, try to at least think
you know what they're thinking, and I understand exactly where
they're coming from. But I can't control the way they
(18:41):
think and feel. But what I can control is my
own actions, and I've tried to make them as positive
as possible. And what would you say? And then you,
I mean, what can you sorry? You know, I mean,
I don't think they want to hear you say, you know,
I didn't pull the trigger. They don't want to know
what right. They just want to at least, I mean,
at least they can look and see, you know, if
(19:01):
they're watching TV, like you know, if I was someplace,
you know, helping kids, you know, to deter them from
making mistakes that I made, and used the situation in
a positive way, you know. I mean, I've really, you know,
worked my butt off since I got home to show
people I'm a different person. If you didn't go to jail,
you might have ended up dead yourself, though, because I
(19:22):
remember reading about you getting pulled over you had a
heroin in the car, and that was a few months
was like a few months before that, you know, I
was on a you know, I was on a you know,
a downward spiral, and ultimately that you know, that night happened.
And you're right, if I hadn't got you know, locked
up that night and arrested, I probably would be dead
(19:44):
right now. I don't know too many people that came
back from a heroin, Like what's that highlight? Well, I
never I never used it intravenously. I never shot it
in my face. Sniffets sniffet um. The high, you know,
the high was, you know, I mean it's it's uh it.
You know, it's very deceiving and very you know, seductive.
(20:05):
But there's a huge price to pay for it, because
like anything else, it's always the best in the beginning.
And what that does is it imprints a memory in
your brain, a memory of euphoria that you never forget,
and every time you do it, you feel less and
less of that, and you chase it. And then you know,
(20:27):
with heroin, which is an opiate, is a physically addicting
drug because your body itself produces opiates. So when you're
giving your body opiates from an outside source, your body says,
we don't have to make them anymore. You're describing crack
first when you said to hide that, m no, talking
about heroin. Crack is not physically addicting, that's all in
(20:50):
the mind. You know, you could smoke crack for ten
days straight, take a nap, and you know it's like
nothing ever happened. But heroin is not like that. You
do a ten days straightoke, you to have, your body's
gonna want it and if you try to withdraw yourself.
I know I've seen people there like shaking and slating
and throwing. A very horrible feeling and something that no
one should ever have to go through, because I myself
(21:12):
seen you know, you know, and have been in the
grips of addiction. And that's why I choose to spend
my time informing and using the experience to deter people
from ever getting into that situation themselves, right and that
you know, at the same time, that helps me to
stay on the right path. Because when you were on
(21:33):
Markers Island, they didn't have you in general population. No,
they had me what was called CMC Central Monitored Case
High Profile Cases. It was you know, like you know,
any any movement has to be you know, they have
to call Albany. Like it's it's not as if you're
not a high if you're not CMC and you know
(21:54):
saying you know, you're in seven cell and you're sink broke.
Now you want to move to eight cell because they
got you know, the sinks. You know it works. You
can't just do that because being a CMC, that has
to be you know, they have to make a call
to Albany and say, well, listen, you know this CMC
so and so wants to move to another sell for
(22:15):
this reason and that they have to approve it right days. Yeah,
you know, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes it does. And I
know Plexico Burrs was in there, but he wasn't in
rikers Out. He wasn't rikers on, but not when I
was there. We were up state together. Okay, we were
up state together. We were in Oneida in UM two
from two thousand and nine to two thousand and eleven.
(22:35):
I remember you got there was like September and then
he got released in like June of two thousand eleven.
Why didn't have you in a general pop Well, because
I would I would think, I mean sadly some of
the imags would look at you as the hero because
you was in a situation where cop got killed. Um well,
I guess just because of the nature of the case
and it was high profile. I mean, you had other
guys with cases like mine, you know, other guys involved
(22:59):
in the same type of stuff where I was. You know,
but it's just high profile in prison because you knew
the cops at it out for you. Uh yeah, I'm
not gonna lie and say you know never that I
wasn't um. But yeah, at times did they ever do
anything to you? No, stove you out, No, I don't
(23:22):
let you watch beat you up. I think you know
it's all about in the way you carry yourself. Um,
And you know you just mind your business and just
do your time. You're gonna be all right. And what
about your cody? Have you spoke to him while you
were in I spoke to him out outside. Well, I
haven't spoke to him since, you know, since I mean
we you know, like you know, through people in the neighborhood.
(23:45):
You know, it was it was you know, so and
so said Alowe, you know, tell him a law. But
when we weren't Rikers Island together, we used to see
each other. When we used to go to court. We
were in different buildings, but the ESCO Emergency Service Unit
because we didn't go in the bus because it was
a high profile. So we'd go in the van meet
him and maybe a few other you know, high profile guys,
and uh, we used to see each other in the
(24:05):
van and you know, and uh, you know, go to court. Um.
But then you know we had separate trials. Did you
think you do you think he did he think you
read it him up. No, absolutely not, absolutely not. I
mean that's all you know, that's all. I mean, you
can go online and see that. You know, none of
that happened. I took it to trial. You know, it
was a you know, a trial of you know, the
(24:28):
consistent of over thirty days. A guy who tells on
someone doesn't get ten years for an attempt at burglary
right now, what about that? How much did that trial
cost you? UM? Cost me about two hundred and fifty thousand. Oh,
you had a real lawyer. Yeah, I mean I think
he was gonna hand a Craig right hand the money.
He ain't had the money. He had money, drugs, he
(24:48):
just didn't. We weren't, like I said, we weren't you know,
like two burglars going to robber, you know, just couldn't
find anybody. Dealer wasn't nowhere. He ran out the other
guy that you know, well when it rains, it paused.
There was nothing around. So now since you've gotten out, though,
people have reached out to you and tried to help you,
and you you have been casting in a couple of
(25:09):
movies and um, I even saw you did a music
video with a pop star and people were angry about well,
we never the video never went through right because of
all the commotion that you know, my involvement was causing.
They put the kabash on it and they never went
through video. Was there a girl on Natalie she's a
(25:32):
Russian pop singer. So um, And then you got casting
in this Alec Baldwin film and so but that's good
to go like filming. I know there's been some issues
with people protesting, but you're solidified in that, right. No,
that we already. I I'm already, it's already. I'm already
shot my scenes. Do anybody say anything you like the
actors like Alex Steward, Why didn't you? Oh? I didn't
(25:54):
work with him. Oh, he's in the film. Mike Tyson
is in the film, Michael Madson and a Bella Siura.
You know, Danny Glover, William de Mayo. Um, you talk
to Mike. I'm sure he understands. No, I didn't. I didn't.
I didn't. I didn't speak to Mike. But I have
a picture of Mike when I was on the cover
of the Post last week. I have a picture of
(26:16):
Mike holding up the paper. Yeah, so that was cool,
you know, Um, yeah, no, a guy like that, I mean,
he can definitely understand where I'm coming from. He was
in a you know, do you think people ever forgive you?
I think, you know, when enough time goes on and
people see, you know, through my actions that you know,
this guy's really changed. I think, you know, I'll I'll
(26:36):
be worthy of it, and I think people eventually, you
mean everyone, No, but I think that I'm I'm the path,
you know, with the path that I'm on, I think
that I will be able to convince you know, people
because it's from the heart that I have changed. Will
you ever forgive yourself? Um? Yeah, I mean, you know,
(27:01):
I'm you know, I'm proud of the person that I've
become and that I was able to turn such a
negative into a positive. And you know, like when I
talk to these kids at high schools and colleges and
I see the look on their faces when I'm speaking
to them, it's just like such a fulfilling feeling to
be able to do that, and to you know, even
I mean, you're not going to be able to change
(27:23):
or you know, every single one of them, but if
you change five, that's you know, that's huge and this
is you doing this on your note, on your own
is not a condition of your No, no, no, absolutely not,
absolutely not. It just that's you know, this is what
this is what God wanted. You know a lot of
my friends wanted to cop to get no. Absolutely no,
absolutely not. Um but this is what. This is why
(27:46):
God so fit to it that I didn't get convicted
of murder and I didn't get killed. I'm still alive
for a reason, Like everything in life happens for a reason,
and that reason wasn't for me to be released after
eight years and go back to doing the same the
same stuff. Absolutely it was to come out and make
(28:07):
a difference in my own life and in other people's lives.
That's what I do. I read that you're also playing
a priest in a movie. Is that true? Yes? Right?
That was? That was That was That was my first role.
It wasn't as big as a film as the one
I just you know completed, right, but you know that one,
you know has Eric Roberts, got a nice cast as well.
(28:27):
They didn't do no background check on that one, no,
so but you know when they offered me that film,
the kid was from Yonker's His name is Frankie came
to my house with a box of cookies and a script.
Literally came to my house because you know we went
to the same high schools. Much younger than me. Rang
my doorbell and you know, said listen, I got the script.
(28:49):
I wrote it. You know we're gonna we got some
money and you know we want you to be in it,
you know, and I really look up to you. Bought
the cookies we able to eat. Yeah, that's the weird offering. Yeah,
like a mix, like an assortment, a different you know
you recording antically you don't drink right now, drink. I
did read an article about you're going to clubs and
(29:11):
how a lot of the people in the clubs, the owners,
they feel like they don't want to. I want twice.
You know I can't just you know, go to like today.
To be here, I had to get a travel pass.
I have it in my bag from my paroval officer
to you know travel I'm restricted my traveling. You know,
I'm restricted into where where I travel. Um, I cannot
(29:33):
travel into any of the five boroughs without a travel
pass from my parole officer. What do you say? You say, yer?
Are you not allowed to drink? Or anything or is
that a condition of your Absolutely, yeah, that's one of
those stipulations. But at the same time, I know it's
my worst enemy because I know if I have, you know,
one drink, it turns me into a different person, and
it's going to bring me back to where I was.
(29:54):
And you know, even and maybe this time I'm not
going to be as lucky. But about your family where
they're very supportive of you while you were aware or
and the whole time that you were on drugs, did
they know did they say, okay, you know he's on
heroin and did they talk to you, sit you down
or was it something that you were able to hide
from the No, no, no, it got to the point
where there was no hiding it. I was, you know,
(30:14):
I mean I was at rock bottom pretty much. I
mean I was as bad as you get. And you know,
my mom would cry and uh, you know, my mom
and dad were just like, you know, so depressed on
what I had become. My brother wouldn't even talk to me,
you know, I mean, I was I was a crackhead,
you know, I mean, you know, there's no other way
to put it, right. I mean, did you clean up
(30:34):
stuff around the house for him, like, did were you
good with your hands maintenance? You know a lot of
crackheads in the hood, they're good with the hands. It's
good cheap label. No, no, I was. I didn't do
any of that. I was usually out. Yeah, money man,
he's not a typical crackhead. What are you doing cleaning?
Cause number this guy right now. Listen, we had this
(30:55):
discussion the other day. What do you think it's worse
alcohol or crack? You know what they equally is bad.
There equally is bad. Let me put it to you
this way. Detoxing from crack, it's very uncomfortable and you'll
go through the shakes and you'll you know you're sweat
(31:16):
and you know you'll come down really odd, but you
won't die. If you're an alcoholic and you drink every
day for a certain amount of time, you cannot just
stop because you will die. Okay, you need librium. People
you know, are very misconceived about you know. Alcohol. Alcohol
(31:37):
is a drug. Also rightly it happens to be legal,
but at the same time, it's just as destructive as
any of those other drugs. And usually it's the catalyst
because once you drink, your judgment becomes impaired, and all
the good things that you put in place out the
window because now you think differently, you know. So you
(32:00):
know I got to say they're equally as bad. Thank
you for proving me an envy right now, he said
equally as bad. You said, that's not proving listening. So
um you UM, I don't want to ask you just now. Oh,
do you have any remorse when you're in jail for
the cop Absolutely, I still got remorse. I mean because
I feel like you was more sorry for yourself than it. No,
I mean, this is listen. You know, I accepted, I
(32:21):
accepted responsibility, and I still do it for my actions,
my drug addiction. How they made a contribution in the
death of that heroic police officer Daniel. You know, that's
something that I got to live with for the rest
of my life. There's not one day that goes by
that I don't think of December tenth, two thousand and
five at least one time. Okay, sometimes it's twenty times,
(32:44):
but at least one time, and say, damn, you know,
I wish I could go back and change that night,
and you know, and that guy would be alive. Still,
you know, do you think that much time when you
got that time, do you think it was so much
time for you? Since you said you didn't have anything
to do with the shooting and put a typical robbery
case probably would have got a year. Um. Well, the
(33:04):
sentencing guidelines since it was an attempt at burglary in
the first degree, it was a sentencing guideline of three
and a half to fifteen years. Judge gave me ten
my first felony. You know, there was other cases in
the same you know, in Bronx County that my lawyer
spoke about in front of the judge prior to being sentenced.
(33:27):
Guys with two and three felonies in the same county
the same charge. We're getting seven and eight years and
I got ten my first felony. But then someone died
as well, right right? You know, do I think it
was excessive? I don't want to use the word excessive,
because I truly believe that it was you know, I mean,
(33:49):
the sentence imposed came out of the judge's mouth, but
I truly believe that the sentence imposed was one by God,
because I think that he that is the amount of
time that he thought that I needed, right and might
blessed that it wasn't worse than that. It could have
went way worse than that. Absolutely, I could have been
convicted of murder too, and I would have got a
(34:10):
twenty to life or a twenty five to life. Now,
for our local listeners, west Chester Young because that seems
like a pretty bad county as far as police in
the court systems, do you agree Westchester County tougher than
New York? I would say as far as being able
to take a case like that to trial and being victorious, well,
you you rarely see that in that in that county.
(34:31):
I think. I think with that same case, with that case,
um my lawyers, you know, and the lawyers that I
have spoken to all said that I was lucky that
that kind of case happened in the Bronx because you're
you're going to get the best jurors in the Bronx.
(34:53):
Had it happened in west Chester County, yeah, it would
have been a very good shot. That a very tough place.
I would have you know, maybe in a situation like that,
maybe I wouldn't have taken it to trial. We heard
from Robert de Niro, No, did you ever have a
relationship with him? At all. Yeah, absolutely, yeah, we did.
(35:14):
You know, that was his directorial, the first movie he
ever directed. And you know, did he turn you on
the drugs? No? No, he spot he did the exact opposite.
He tried to you know, he tried to tell me,
and he even came to my house and he went
to the wrong house. He rang the next little neighbors.
That's that's an awkward intervention. And I'm trying to intervene.
I go to the wrong guy's house. No, but no,
(35:36):
but he's you know, he's I mean, what a great guy.
I mean, you know, I mean, the guy taught me
so much. And to give a you know, you know,
an unknown at fifteen years old, the shot of a lifetime.
You do look like it could be you look like
Robert there a little bit. You know, it made sense,
and you know, I mean the decisions that I made
in my life definitely had to you know, let him down.
(35:56):
And I you know, I don't. I mean, I understand
that he hasn't reached out, but at the same time,
he still hadn't. He never said anything negative. He kind
of like, you know, just said that it was unfortunate
for everyone involved, which you know is what you're supposed
to say in that situation, right, and you know, I
(36:17):
mean I haven't reached out to him, but you know
one day after, you know, I mean, yeah, after, I
truly believe, I mean, I think it's still too whirling now.
I mean, not reach out to him for a job,
reach out to him just to make things right and
just to look in his eyes and say, you know,
do the family first though before Robin? Right, Yeah, no, absolutely,
(36:38):
I I mean I would have did that already. Believe me.
I want to sit ye and say, you know, listen,
you know, you know I'm truly am you know, I
truly apologize and I am really sorry. But you say,
you know what, they're gonna see this. So if you
had something to say to them right now, I had
something to say to them right now, you know. I mean,
you know, I'm sorry, you know, for your loss, and
(37:00):
I'm sorry for my involvement, you know, but please find
it in your heart to forgive me. You know, I
didn't you know, I wasn't. I didn't. You know, I
wasn't the one who who killed you know, your brother,
and you know, hopefully in time and you know, even
if there was anything I can do for them, I
(37:21):
would do it, you know, but I just you know,
with the situation, it's going to be really hard to
get them to forgive you and to open up to
you in a way which was you know, it almost
becomes amicable. I don't think that's ever a possibility. I
really don't, you know, which I understand. I'm not. I'm
(37:44):
not mad about it, you know, I understand because you know,
in the situation was reversed, I probably I don't know
what I would do to forgive you. It might help
them to heal as well. Yeah, do you feel like
she'll get blackballed for anything in the future, Like I've
seen Chad's commentary has spoken out and said that you
better not try to reach out to him, and right,
(38:04):
he would never reach out to you because he was
in a Bronx tale with you. Although right, do you
feel like there's certain roles or moving forward that you
might get black balled? Um? Yeah, absolutely, I think to
a certain extent that would definitely happen. I mean there
are you know, I mean, it's a business, and in
that business there are all different kinds of people, and
(38:24):
there are some that will be more willing to give
you the opportunity and maybe know someone who was in
a situation where they were involved in, you know, a
drug addiction, and you know can understand and empathize and
what you went through and how it was the drugs
that put you in that situation. But now that you've
used the situation and made yourself a better person. You know,
(38:46):
I tend narcotics anonymous meetings three to five times a week,
try to help anyone in that situation, right, you know,
and try to talk to them. And you know what
I think about you were in prison, did you write
a did you think about writing your man um Like
I said, the first three years in rykazal And I
couldn't think about anything else but that case. I had
(39:07):
a case file, the whole case files was like, you know,
a stack of papers that I used to have, you know,
laid out on my bed and try to strategize. And
you know, I was in the law library a lot
and learning how to shepherdize cases in different case law
pertaining to that case and the charges that I was facing.
Trying to you know, educate myself as much possible in
(39:28):
the law, to know what I was up against and
to help my lawyer, help me. So that's all I
could think about at that time. And then when I
was you know, acquitted of the murder and you know,
had an additional five and a half to serve, I
spent my time educating myself and learning business management. It's
a it's a major that encompasses a lot. I took
you know, four accounting courses, financial management, politics, psychology. I
(39:53):
learned so much and you know, and truly say I'm
a much better person for it. You know, we appreciate
you for winning us. Yeah, which the best man yeahs
on your request to redemption. Yeah, thank you, Thank you
guys for the opportunity. Um, the movie. The movies could
have come out I think early next year. And I
also want to mention one other thing. I got something that,
(40:15):
uh is in the works right now, a film that
we currently trying to raise money. A film called Valhalla,
which is the Westchester County Jail. It's a jail movie. Um,
it's a jail movie, but it's more about what I
just spoke about, Like, the most important thing to somebody
incarcerated is not you know, UH, is not beating someone
up or you know, the most important thing to someone
(40:36):
who's who's locked up is their freedom and how did
they get that freedom? And that's by learning the law.
And when I read the script, I said, wow, that's
that's really the way this is. That's an accurate depiction.
So for you know, for that reason, I'm very passionate
about the project because I want to kind of show
people what jails really like. And uh, you know, so
we're we're really close to securing the financing. That's something
(40:58):
that I would be a producer on and also starring.
We're looking to start by June July on that and Valhalla. Yes,
with that being said, thank you all for the opportunity.
I appreciate it. Thank you so much. Lelo Broncado Junior
is the Breakfast Club. Good morning,
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