The superintendent of Union City Schools is apologizing for choosing a former Sopranos actor to talk to students about substance abuse.

Silvia Abbato hired Lilo Brancato to speak to the students.

Brancato was convicted of attempted burglary in a 2005 incident in which an NYPD officer was killed.

Abbato released a statement, saying, "Clearly, the decision to invite Lillo Brancato was a mistake. In hindsight, we should have been much more sensitive to the feelings and concerns of the New York Police Department, our own police department, and police departments across the country. We apologize to everyone who is offended by our decision and rest assured, it will never happen again.”

Brancato played young mobster Matthew Bevilaqua in the show.