The actor who served prison time in connection to the fatal drug-fueled shooting of an NYPD officer in the Bronx is now free and getting back to work.

Prosecutors say Lillo Brancato, who starred in "A Bronx Tale" and "The Sopranos," and an accomplice were drinking at a Bronx strip club in 2005 before they tried to break into a nearby apartment to steal Valium.

Detective Daniel Enchautegui, an off-duty officer who lived in the neighborhood, confronted them and gunfire erupted.

Prosecutors say the accomplice fired the shots that killed the officer. The accomplice received a sentence of life in prison, and Brancato got 10 years for attempted burglary.

Brancato was released in December for good behavior and for taking college courses while in prison. He says his goal now is to stay sober and help young people avoid making similar drug-fueled mistakes.

"I'm really excited to have my freedom once again, and that's a good people take for granted, and they shouldn't because it's a beautiful thing and it can go away easily," Brancato says.

The actor is currently filming a new mob-action movie called "Monsters of Mulberry Street."