Darrow, who also starred in 14 episodes of gangster-themed TV series The Sopranos, is facing a possible prison sentence after pleading guilty earlier this month (Feb11) to asking a mob boss to help him collect a debt as a “favour”.
The unidentified debtor was later savagely beaten by two thugs linked to New York’s Gambino crime family, and suffered a broken jaw and ribs.
Now Darrow – real name Anthony Borgese – has told of his terror after he was thrown in a cell with hardened crooks, and has filmed a public service announcement in a bid to help troubled youngsters stay away from a life of crime.
He tells the New York Post, “I’m very sorry for what I did. The only way I can change it is by trying to help other people.”
Darrow reveals he decided to film a public service announcement to send a positive message to youngsters after a conversation about his conviction with his teenage son.
He says, “(My son) said, ‘The guy owed you money; you tried to collect it. You didn’t do anything.’ It made me feel worse. It was not the message I wanted to give him.”
And the actor is determined to put his past behind him after the trauma of his arrest.
He adds, “They threw me into a cage with 70… criminals. I was the only one who got arrested for the first time… I was so frightened I thought I was going to pee myself.”
