It has been a very sad ending indeed for soap opera actor Nick Santino after he was found dead of drug overdose by the police, along with his dog, Rocco at their apartment building in Manhattan on Wednesday.

Reports say that Nick Santino felt more stressed and pressured from the complaints of other tenants in the Manhattan building where they reside. The said apartment, which is only a few steps away from the world-famous Lincoln Centre, announced a strict new policy in 2010 banning pit bulls from the building. Although the regulation did not apply to tenants who already own dogs before the policy was released, those who knew Nick Santino claim the actor was harassed and received several complaints about his pet, Rocco. According to reports of The New York Post, Nick Santino was banned from riding the main elevator or leaving Rocco on his own for more than nine hours. And as time passed by, Nick Santino got more depressed and pressured from the building’s management and neighbors to get rid of his pit bull, Rocco. The actor then felt that he had no other choice but to euthanize his beloved best friend Rocco on Tuesday, which was also the 47th birthday of the “All My Children” and “Guiding Light” star.

Lia Pettigrew, one of Nick Santino’s neighbours attested: “Everybody knows that he had been harassed by the building management.”

Right after he euthanized Rocco, Nick Santino gave some of Rocco’s dog treats to the doorman of the building while breaking down into fit of tears. Neighbours heard him say: “Give these to the other dogs. Rocco is no more.” He also wrote a suicide note which said, “Today I betrayed my best friend. Rocco trusted me and I failed him. He didn’t deserve this.”

However, one of the condo’s board members of the Upper West Side apartment building where Santino lived said that they are not responsible for Nick Santino’s suicide, more so his decision to euthanize his pit bull, Rocco. Condo board member Marilyn Fineman told the New York Post, “It’s all a shame, but it has nothing to do with the pet policy.”

Nick Santino’s family disclosed that they have cremated Rocco, and will cremate the remains of Nick as well. Nick would be buried with Rocco’s ashes so that the two best friends can be together even in death.