Suvechha Sarkar
In May 1992, a shocking act of violence in Long Island, New York, captured national attention. On that fateful day, Mary Jo Buttafuoco was shot at her home by then 17-year-old Amy Fisher. ABC’s ’20/20: Growing Up Buttafuoco’ and Lifetime’s ‘I Am Mary Jo Buttafuoco’ revisits the painful chapter and the investigation of the case, which revealed that Amy was having an affair with Mary’s then-husband, Joey Buttafuoco, who was 36 years old in 1992. The court proceedings further brought the spotlight onto the Buttafuoco family and Amy Fisher. The episode also features interviews with Mary and her loved ones.
Amy Fisher Was Arrested After Mary Jo Buttafuoco Identified Her From a Picture
Amy Fisher was born on August 21, 1974, to a Jewish father, Elliot, and a mother, Roseann Fisher, of Italian heritage. She grew up in Merrick, New York, and attended John F. Kennedy High School. According to reports, she crossed paths with Joey Buttafuoco sometime around 1990 or 1991, when she visited the auto body shop he worked at in Long Island, New York. Court records state that things took a dark turn when she showed up at the home of Joey and his wife, Mary Jo Buttafuoco, in Massapequa, New York, on May 19, 1992. She shot Mary in the right side of her head with a .25-caliber handgun and fled the scene, as per reports. Mary was reportedly rushed to the hospital, where she luckily survived after undergoing a critical surgery.
Investigative reports indicate that after Mary woke up from the coma, she identified Amy from her picture. According to police records, Mary told officials she opened the door for Amy after she rang the doorbell. In Mary’s statements, she stated that Amy claimed Joey was having an affair with Amy’s 16-year-old sister (who didn’t exist in real life). Reports state that Amy then showed a shirt from Joey’s auto body shop before shooting Mary in the head. It has been reported that Mary also saw a man sitting in Amy’s car during their conversation. Ultimately, investigators discovered that Amy was the daughter of Joey’s customer, Elliot. On May 21, 1992, Amy was arrested and indicted on the charge of attempted murder. The media reportedly began referring to her as “Long Island Lolita.”
Amy Fisher’s Confession Revealed Her Affair With Joey Buttafuoco
As per official records, Amy initially denied shooting Mary but later confessed that a month before she turned 17, she had been intimate with Joey. During that time, Joey was reportedly 36 years old, which suggested that he engaged in sexual relations with an underage girl. According to reports, he continued denying having an affair with Amy. Police records state that Amy admitted to crashing her car several times deliberately to meet Joey. In her statements, Amy claimed that on May 19, she and Mary had a struggle during which Amy allegedly struck Mary twice, and the gun went off. Further reports indicate that Amy claimed Joey had told her several times that he allegedly wanted Mary killed. As per court records, another witness, Steven Sleeman, contacted the authorities.
Investigative reports state that Steven confessed under complete immunity that Amy had previously taken him to Mary’s house and had asked him to kill Mary since he had a rifle. Officials reportedly also identified the getaway driver as Peter Guagenti, from his car, which one of Mary’s neighbors had seen on the day of the shooting. Reports state that detectives learned Amy had met Peter about a week before the shooting and had allegedly offered to pay him $800. As per police records, Peter had provided Amy with the firearm on May 19, 1992. Ultimately, Peter was arrested on June 11, 1992, and charged with being an accomplice to the crime and for criminal sale of a weapon.
Amy and Peter Were Released From Prison in 1993 and 1999, Respectively
Amy eventually avoided a trial by accepting a plea deal from the prosecution. She reportedly pleaded guilty to first-degree aggravated assault on September 23, 1992. Amy received a 5 to 15-year prison term on December 2, 1992, with the possibility of parole after serving a minimum of 5 years. Peter reportedly entered into a plea deal in January 1993 and pleaded guilty to the sale of a weapon. On February 5, 1993, Peter was sentenced to six months in prison, but later served a reduced sentence of four months before he was released. Although the District Attorney’s office had begun investigating Joey, they reportedly announced in October 1992 that he would not be prosecuted.
However, following the resurfacing of new evidence, Joey was arrested in 1993 and charged with 12 counts of sodomy, six counts of statutory rape, and one count of endangering the welfare of a child. He pleaded guilty on October 5, 1993, and received a sentence of 6 months in prison, a $5,000 fine, and 5 years of probation. According to reports, Joey was released after serving 4 months in prison. According to court records, Amy had apologized to Mary while serving her time. The court reportedly reduced her maximum sentence to 10 years, following the judge’s finding that Amy was not appropriately represented by her attorney at the time of the plea deal. Amy was finally granted parole and released from Albion Correctional Facility in Albion, New York, on May 11, 1999.
Amy Fisher Appears to be Maintaining a Low Profile Today
After Amy was released from prison, she put all her focused on her career. Her professional trajectory first commenced at the Long Island Press in the role of a Columnist. In 2004, she reached a milestone when the Society of Professional Journalists bestowed her with the Media Award for Column/News. Amy published ‘If I Knew Then,’ with Robbie Woliver as tbe author, in September 2004. She left her position as a Columnist in December 2005, before appearing on shows like ‘Entertainment Tonight’ and ‘The Insider’ alongside Mary in 2006. According to reports, Joey and Amy once again came side-by-side in that same year for the Lingerie Bowl. She then appeared on season 5 of ‘Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew’ in 2011. Amy’s life has also inspired movies like ‘Amy Fisher: My Story’ and ‘The Amy Fisher Story.’
According to reports, Amy also pursued a career in the adult entertainment industry and released the film ‘Amy Fisher: Totally Nude & Exposed’ in January 2009. However, by 2011, she insisted that she would no longer work in the adult film sector. Another report indicates that she also worked at strip clubs before moving on. On the personal front, Amy got married to an ex-police officer, Louis Bellera, from New York City in 2003. She eventually welcomed her three children into the world. A controversy reportedly arose when a report stated that she claimed that her husband led her into the adult entertainment industry, which Louis insisted was false. Around that time, Amy was residing in Florida along with her children and Louis. She and her husband ultimately divorced in 2015.
In May 2017, a report revealed that Amy had moved back to Long Island, New York, from Florida. She revealed, “My kids were ostracized in Florida. They had no friends.” Amy further continued that she wanted a fresh start for her children and to keep them safe. The report further suggested that despite receiving multiple offers to appear on television, Amy stated, “It’s just not worth it. I want a private life. My life has already been ruined.” Moreover, as per another official record, she changed her name in 2016. Amy reportedly said she moved to Long Island with her children because her family lives there, ensuring her children can grow up in a comfortable enplay with their cousins. As of writing, Amy has chosen to lead a quiet life, stepping away from the spotlight.
Read More: Jessie Buttafuoco: Where is Joey and Mary Jo Buttafuoco’s Daughter Now?
