Coppola robbed!

By BILL CORMIER

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) - Armed bandits raided Francis Ford Coppola's Argentine headquarters and stole a computer with the screenplay for the upcoming feature film "Tetro," according to local news media.

The director of "The Godfather" apparently was not in Buenos Aires at the time of the robbery Wednesday night.

A federal police spokesman, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to give his name, confirmed that a robbery had occurred and a judge was investigating, but he said he could not give details.

The independent news agency Noticias Argentinas reported at least five people entered the offices of Zoetrope Argentina, tied up employees and took computers, cameras and other valuables.

Noticias Argentinas said one of the stolen computers contained the 68-year-old director's script for "Tetro," a story about Italian immigrant artists set to begin shooting next year and starring Matt Dillon.

Calls by The Associated Press to Coppola's New York-based representative were not returned.

Grisel Raynoldi, a 21-year-old university student who lives across the street from Coppola's headquarters, said she heard no unusual noises Wednesday night.

"People get held up in the street a lot at night but normally they (criminals) don't go into the houses. So I was surprised," she said, adding she had seen Coppola on several occasions coming and going from the building in a chauffeured car.

The house is set in the Palermo neighborhood of chic boutiques and trendy restaurants interspersed among homes and abandoned warehouses.