Brian Damage
08-31-2007, 10:00 AM
August 31, 2007 -- A Long Island man convicted of killing his parents received a special gift on this 36th birthday - a surprise visit from James Gandolfini.
The "Sopranos" star drove four hours each way Wednesday to pay a two-hour visit to Martin Tankleff, who has been incarcerated for 17 years at the Great Meadow Correctional Facility in Comstock, about 220 miles north of New York City.
Gandolfini became interested in meeting Tankleff after learning about his case from Jay Salpeter, a private investigator and former NYPD homicide detective.
Salpeter befriended Gandolfini when he was hired to help prepare the actor to play a detective in the 2006 film, "Lonely Hearts," also starring John Travolta and Salma Hayek.
Salpeter is involved in ongoing efforts to get Tankleff's conviction overturned. Tankleff was 17 in 1988 when - he claims - he returned home from school to find his unconscious parents, stabbed and bludgeoned.
They both died and, under questioning, Tankleff confessed to the murders. He is now serving a 50-year-to-life sentence.
Tankleff's supporters believe that he confessed under duress after being manipulated by Suffolk County cops.
The Tankleff story has been told many times on TV - on CBS (three separate episodes of "48 Hours"), A&E and even on an episode of "Dr. Phil" last season.
"I was telling [Gandolfini] about the false conviction of Marty Tankleff . . . and he took an interest in the story, and he wanted to meet Marty," Salpeter told The Post. "We met over at the prison, and I introduced him to Marty and, I'll tell you, he gave someone a very wonderful birthday gift."
The visit was apparently very low-key. Gandolfini signed a few autographs for office workers at the prison and then conversed with Tankleff in a private room in the presence of Salpeter, New York p.r. man Lonnie Soury - who handles media relations for the campaign to have Tankleff's conviction reversed - and an attorney for Tankleff.
Gandolfini, who was unavailable to comment on his upstate field trip, is executive producer of an upcoming HBO documentary about seriously wounded Iraq War veterans - "Alive Day Memories," premiering Sept. 9 - but he is not contemplating a project on the Tankleff case, sources said.
On the contrary, Wednesday's visit is being portrayed as strictly personal.
"He was obviously compelled and moved by Marty's story and wanted to meet him," Soury said. "They really hit it off."
http://www.nypost.com/seven/08312007/tv/jail_visit.htm
The "Sopranos" star drove four hours each way Wednesday to pay a two-hour visit to Martin Tankleff, who has been incarcerated for 17 years at the Great Meadow Correctional Facility in Comstock, about 220 miles north of New York City.
Gandolfini became interested in meeting Tankleff after learning about his case from Jay Salpeter, a private investigator and former NYPD homicide detective.
Salpeter befriended Gandolfini when he was hired to help prepare the actor to play a detective in the 2006 film, "Lonely Hearts," also starring John Travolta and Salma Hayek.
Salpeter is involved in ongoing efforts to get Tankleff's conviction overturned. Tankleff was 17 in 1988 when - he claims - he returned home from school to find his unconscious parents, stabbed and bludgeoned.
They both died and, under questioning, Tankleff confessed to the murders. He is now serving a 50-year-to-life sentence.
Tankleff's supporters believe that he confessed under duress after being manipulated by Suffolk County cops.
The Tankleff story has been told many times on TV - on CBS (three separate episodes of "48 Hours"), A&E and even on an episode of "Dr. Phil" last season.
"I was telling [Gandolfini] about the false conviction of Marty Tankleff . . . and he took an interest in the story, and he wanted to meet Marty," Salpeter told The Post. "We met over at the prison, and I introduced him to Marty and, I'll tell you, he gave someone a very wonderful birthday gift."
The visit was apparently very low-key. Gandolfini signed a few autographs for office workers at the prison and then conversed with Tankleff in a private room in the presence of Salpeter, New York p.r. man Lonnie Soury - who handles media relations for the campaign to have Tankleff's conviction reversed - and an attorney for Tankleff.
Gandolfini, who was unavailable to comment on his upstate field trip, is executive producer of an upcoming HBO documentary about seriously wounded Iraq War veterans - "Alive Day Memories," premiering Sept. 9 - but he is not contemplating a project on the Tankleff case, sources said.
On the contrary, Wednesday's visit is being portrayed as strictly personal.
"He was obviously compelled and moved by Marty's story and wanted to meet him," Soury said. "They really hit it off."
http://www.nypost.com/seven/08312007/tv/jail_visit.htm