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American Soap Star Commits Suicide


SkySoaringMagpie
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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2093499/Condo-board-Nick-Santino-suicide-fault-despite-anti-dog-rules.html

The condo board whose rules drove Nick Santino to euthanize his beloved put bull was not responsible for the soap operate star's suicide, says a board member.

Mr Santino wrote a suicide note Tuesday that said: 'Today I betrayed my best friend. Rocco trusted me and I failed him. He didn’t deserve this.'

The 47-year-old actor overdosed on pills hours later at his Upper West Side New York City apartment. He died on his birthday.

It's all a shame, condo board member Marilyn Fineman told the New York Post: 'But it has nothing to do with the pet policy.

'You just assumed that was a result of a board’s decision.'

The denial comes as Mr Santino's family revealed he would be buried with Rocco's ashes so the two pals can be together in death.

His apartment building, only steps away from the world-renowned Lincoln Centre, announced a strict new policy in 2010 banning pit bulls from the building.

While the rule didn’t apply to those who already had those dogs, those who knew Santino said he was harassed and received multiple complaints about his pet, the Post reports.

‘It was open season on him,’ neighbour Kevan Cleary, 63, said.

The Post said Santino was not allowed to ride the main elevator or leave Rocco unattended for more than nine hours.

Lia Pettigrew, another one of Santino’s neighbours, said: ‘Everybody knows that he had been harassed by the building management.’

Santino had acted in All My Children, Guiding Light, was born in Brooklyn and grew up moving from foster home to foster home.

More recently, he had minor roles in USA's Royal Pains and the CW's Gossip Girl.

He wrote on his Facebook wall how much his pet meant to him. ‘I did not rescue Rocco, Rocco rescued me.’

After he put Rocco down, Santino gave some of his dog treats to the doorman of the building with tears flowing down his face. Neighbours heard him say: ‘Give these to the other dogs. Rocco is no more.’

'Today I betrayed my best friend. Rocco trusted me and I failed him. He didn’t deserve this.'

-Nick Santino

Mr Cleary said: ‘He was distraught and remorseful about putting down his best friend.’

Later, he left Rocco’s dog bed and two rawhide bones at another neighbour’s doors.

His last call was to a former girlfriend, hours before police discovered his body.

Though a veterinarian told Santino that his dog was becoming increasingly more aggressive, dog owner James Steven Grand said: ‘Rocco was the sweetest dog in the world. Rocco wouldn’t hurt a fly.’

It appeared that Santino died from overdosing on pills, the New York Post said.

The dog was cremated after being put down. Santino, too, will be cremated.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2093499/Condo-board-Nick-Santino-suicide-fault-despite-anti-dog-rules.html#ixzz1ksW34WPI

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That is very sad....as is all the conflicting reports. Im no expert in the pitbull as a breed but as I look at the photos the dog did not really fit what I would identify as a pitbull...perhaps a cross by stretching it. There is a report having been allegedly written by the dogs veterinarian that indicated that Rocco was stressing under the lifestyle, but in Hollywood who knows what is accurate in reporting. I see with my eyes and looking at the photos I see a man who loved his dog and died because he took that responsibility to love deeper than those who allegedly harassed him took for their actions. They are together in death RIP.

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Why didn't he just move house?

I imagine that finding accommodation is somewhat difficult in New York.

I would move city if needed to save my dog, especially if I knew it would lead to me ending my own life. :shrug:

However I feel very sad for this man and his family, there is likely more to the story.

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He also may not have been able to afford to move, he was out of work. Might have been in a lease and couldn't afford having 2 while the first ran out. Finding pitbull friendly housing in any state of the US is difficult. Lots of reasons he probably felt like he wouldn't be able to move and it is quite likely someone who was harassing him did something really nasty on that last day, people are disgusting sometimes.

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Geez, a couple of harsh/ignorant opinions!

No wonder people with mental health issues keep it to themselves.

I'm pretty sure the guy didn't put to sleep his dog KNOWING that would lead him to take his own life.

People committ suicide for many different reasons, I just feel very sad (and angry) at the harassment he received over the dog.

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