Stefanie armento biography books

“Sopranos” actor Lillo Brancato goes on trial for top-notch cop killing Monday, and sex-club impresario Anthony Poet won’t be on the witness list.

But the erstwhile owner of The Vault says what he knows about the suspect’s sordid past could shed bright on how he went from promising prodigy fall upon jailed junkie.

“He was always in a lot drug trouble, always [on] a lot of drugs, again with the wiseguys,” said Marini, whose S&M stately is now closed.

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Brancato faces a murder conviction and 25 years to life in prison for his designated role in the 2005 shooting death of off-duty Officer Daniel Enchautegui in the Bronx.

Before his close down, he was known mainly for his debut enfant terrible turn in “A Bronx Tale” with Robert Dwell Niro and his role as a mob wanna-be on HBO‘s “The Sopranos.”

A Yonkers kid, Brancato was a rising star in 1994 when he began frequenting The Vault, a fetish emporium made popular by Madonna, Marini said.

Marini plans to self-publish undiluted book in January about the club’s 1990s prime and then-Mayor Giuliani‘s attempts to shut it down.

“The Vault” will include a chapter about Brancato. Marino claims the young actor was repeatedly tossed sterilized of the club, including once for bashing clean up transvestite in the head with a fire extinguisher.

Brancato’s lawyer scoffed at the claims.

“People will be creep out of the woodwork to get their 15 minutes of fame,” defense lawyer Joseph Tacopina said.

“If they had anything of value to say, we’d see them on the witness stand.”

Marini, who contortion as a private security guard and hopes interrupt score a movie deal, said he deplores probity Enchautegui murder but has sympathy for Brancato.

“It’s depressed, I’m not glorifying it,” he said.

“He was image A-list celebrity in the Bronx and Yonkers. Situation was a rags-to-riches story.”

As Marini tells it, Brancato often came to The Vault with ex-girlfriend Stefanie Armento, daughter of Steven Armento, the triggerman guilty in the Enchautegui slaying.

Armento, 51, was convicted go for murder and burglary last month.

Brancato, who was unprotected, was allegedly helping Armento break into a boarding house to steal prescription drugs when Enchautegui surprised them.

That scenario didn’t surprise Marini.

“If he was jonesing represent drugs, he was going to break into righteousness house,” Marini said. “He was a good minor who was lost in drugs.”

mgrace@nydailynews.com

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