Gardens of Stone

💡 Did You Know?

Francis Ford Coppola's son, Gian-Carlo Coppola, was originally cast as Pete Deveber, but was replaced when he was killed in a speedboating accident in May 1986 in Annapolis, Maryland. Griffin O'Neal, who was driving the boat while using drugs, had attempted to pass between two slow-moving boats, failing to realize in his haste that both boats were connected by a very long towline. While O'Neal barely had time to duck, young Coppola was struck, throwing his body to the metal deck, sustaining head injuries whereby he died instantly. O'Neal was later charged with manslaughter over the tragedy. He was ultimately fined $200 and sentenced to eighteen months probation in 1987, eventually receiving an eighteen-day jail sentence for not performing 400 hours of community service as ordered. A law was later passed requiring short towlines between boats. At the time of his death, Coppola's fiancée, Jacqueline de La Fontaine, was two months pregnant with their only daughter, Gia Coppola, who was born on January 1, 1987.