Soap Opera Actor Nick Santino Commits Suicide at 47
Brooklyn-born actor Nick Santino committed suicide Wednesday, The New York Post reports.
The soap opera star was wracked with grief after his beloved pit bull Rocco was euthanized Tuesday -- the same day Santino turned 47.
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"Today I betrayed my best friend and put down my best friend," Santino wrote in a suicide note, according to close friend Stuart Sarnoff. "Rocco trusted me and I failed him. He didn't deserve this."
The actor, who appeared on seven episodes of All My Children and six episodes of Guiding Light, had been feeling "harassed" by his building management company, according to his neighbor Lia Pettigrew.
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He was allegedly threatened with a $250 fine for having a barking dog, but according to neighbor Kevan Cleary, "the dog was not a barker, but somebody complained that the dog would bark."
Santino phoned a former girlfriend at 2 a.m. Wednesday. Police found Santino's body in his bedroom later that afternoon. The actor had overdosed on pills.
The actor's pet Rocco has been cremated; friends tell The New York Post Santino's remains will also be cremated.
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101I totally understand hw situations become overwhelming and a person just feels trapped with no exit available. Absolutely this young man had been contemplating his life issues as he had formed a "plan" and had taken his life. No judgement here killing your life partner was as painful as killing himself. To his fmily and all those who saw him as atalented wonderful actor, just truly pray that the kind of pain he was n was not bearable..not in this life. God Bless you and may peace finally find a relief to your suffering.
This is sad. But why didnt he just move? The dog would be alive and so whould he.
I rescue dogs from euthanasia but pit bulls are overwhelming the shelters. This is such a tragedy. I understand his love for his dog. Pitties give their love totally to their masters. The 2 in my picture are both rescues and I have 5 others. They are my life. Landlords must stop making it impossible for good dog owners to keep their best friend. Holly on the left was chemically burned on her back by people who used her as a bait dog. Brandy on the right was spirited out of Denver or she would have died because she is part Staffordshire bull terrier. May this loving man rest in peace. I am so sad to hear this.
I agree with Jennifer McNicholas Holland Who can say what others have to do or not ,,, compassion is the minimum ... have a great day
You think its easy to just up and move with a pit bull...you think its easy to give your beloved best friend away or put in a shelter where 95% of the pit bulls stay on death row until their time has come...clearly the bond was strong enough one might think Rocco truly saved Nick...if you just think of Rocco as Nick's therapy dog this might help you understand and the harassment wore this man down to a point of no return
F Him Big Time, He could have given the dog away...who wouldn't want a soap stars dog? He could have moved to Brooklyn got a yard and adopted 10 more needy dogs...But No Bloodbath.
sad that we have to let other people dictate our life because of our animals. i had to go thru this similar thing last summer to where i even had to move because the person was making everyones life so miserable. dogs bark when people and cars go by.. it s there way of warning their owners.. if one can not handle that they have a problem. im just sorry that Nick had to take his life because of having to put his animal down. very sad..\
sad that we have to let other people dictate our life because of our animals. i had to go thru this similar thing last summer to where i even had to move because the person was making everyones life so miserable. dogs bark when people and cars go by.. it s there way of warning their owners.. if one can not handle that they have a problem. im just sorry that Nick had to take his life because of having to put his animal down. very sad..\
So, so, so sad. :(
Probably made up the dog barking story to explain why he put the dog down. He may have been planning suicide on his birthday and didn't want to leave his dog behind. Sad.
Really? To some people there dog is there life. For some of you to call him an idiot that just makes you ignorant and uneducated. RIP and many prayers
Really? To some people there dog is there life. For some of you to call him an idiot that just makes you ignorant and uneducated. RIP and many prayers
Really? To some people there dog is there life. For some of you to call him an idiot that just makes you ignorant and uneducated. RIP and many prayers
There has to be another reason. I mean I understand that the death of animal can cause the same effect like a family member BUT is it really a reason to commit suicide. There has to be another side to this story.
Santion- you're an idiot.
i'm sorry, but to put a dog down for that reason was stupid on his part, he could've moved or made some other arrangement. that doesn't make sense to me. To commit suicide because you "failed" your dog baffles me, i know sometimes they are like family and i've cried over my share of pets but killing yourself over it?! sheesh i would like to think there was much more to it then that
My sympathy goes out to his family.....R.I.P. # NICK
This story breaks my heart!
WTF, so your dog is put down and you whack yourself?
Wait, Laurie put her dog down because she lost her house?? I would do ANYTHING for my animals. They are as much my family as any human. I'm sorry, but Nick DID fail Rocco. You don't put your dog down because someone complained about him barking... you teach him NOT to bark.