Suvechha Sarkar
ABC’s ’20/20: Growing Up Buttafuoco’ and Lifetime’s ‘I Am Mary Jo Buttafuoco’ bring the spotlight to May 1992, in Long Island, New York, when Mary Jo Buttafuoco was brutally shot at her residence. As investigators dug deeper into the case, they discovered that her husband, Joey Buttafuoco’s lover, 17-year-old Amy Fisher, was actually the shooter. The focus also moves to Steven Sleeman and Peter Guagenti, two young men who found themselves in the middle of the chaos. The episode also features an interview with Steven himself, who made a shocking confession that solved a decades-long mystery.
Steven Sleeman Came Forward With Information About Amy Fisher After Her Arrest
Steven Sleeman was born around 1970 to his father, Joseph Sleeman, and his mother. Steven originally hails from North Merrick, New York, and his name came under scrutiny when he was just 21. On May 19, 1992, Mary Jo Buttafuoco was shot in the head in her Long Island, New York home, but thankfully she survived the ordeal. According to reports, she successfully identified the shooter as the 17-year-old Amy Fisher, leading to Amy’s arrest on May 21, 1992. Reports state that after Amy was charged with attempted murder, the case began to attract public attention around the end of May 1992, Joseph contacted an attorney, informing that Steven had some information regarding Amy. Reports state that Steven’s attorney contacted the District Attorney’s office, requesting that Steven be granted immunity in exchange for his help.
Steven was reportedly granted immunity in exchange for his cooperation. In his statements, Steven confessed that he had met Amy through his co-worker and friend, Chris Drellos. According to official records, Amy had told Chris that she was dating an older man, who was Mary’s husband, Joey Buttafuoco, and allegedly said that she wanted Mary to be killed. Chris then introduced her to Steven, since he had a rifle, and allegedly said to Steven that he could then become intimate with Amy, as per the records. Investigative reports state that Amy allegedly paid Steven to keep track of Mary’s routine before they reportedly went to Mary’s home to shoot her on November 1, 1991. Steven stated that he hid in the bushes as Amy entered Mary’s house under the pretense of selling chocolates for charity.
Court records state that Steven allegedly didn’t get a clear shot, which was why he didn’t shoot Mary. Mary revealed on the show that when the detectives asked her about November 1, 1991, she recollected that a girl had come to sell chocolates to her. Chris and two more guys reportedly came forward claiming that Amy had also tried to hire them. Amy reportedly pleaded guilty to first-degree aggravated assault on September 23, 1992, and received a 5 to 15-year prison term on December 2, 1992. According to reports, Steven confessed almost three decades later that shortly after the missed attempt on Mary, he had gone back to the house with the rifle and shot through Mary’s living room window. Mary reportedly remembered reporting the incident to the police, but at that time, the identity of the shooter reportedly remained unsolved.
Steven Had Been Working as a Sous Chef Before Seemingly Choosing to Lead a Quiet Life
According to the officials, if Steven had confessed to that shooting back in 1992, he would’ve been prosecuted despite having immunity, since the condition for his immunity was to tell the entire truth. Reports state that Steven later faced no criminal charges for the incident because the statute of limitations had expired. Steven later apologized, saying, “I think people should know what really went on. I am very sorry for Mary Jo and her family, because of Amy and I.” While recalling his life back in 1992, Steven stated, “It was like a circus. I was fouled everywhere, my life was just turned totally upside down.”
At the time of the ordeal in 1992, Steven was working as a waiter at a restaurant. After things had settled down for him, he eventually moved to Pawleys Island, South Carolina, and began pursuing his culinary journey. There, he began working as a Chef at Frank’s & Frank’s Outback. After a while, Steven moved on to join the DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Myrtle Beach Oceanfront as a Sous Chef. By 2018, he began sharing his work and his dish creations. In his personal life, his world entirely revolves around his beloved pup, Lucy. However, as of writing, Steven appears to be maintaining a low profile and stepping back from the spotlight.
Peter Guagenti Was Released From Prison After Four Months
After the arrest of Amy in May 1992, officials reportedly focused on identifying the man whom Mary had seen in Amy’s car at the time of the shooting on May 19, 1992. Reports state that as the investigation moved forward, detectives learned that Amy had met Peter just around a week before the shooting when she went to Brooklyn, New York, with her friends. According to court records, she had asked him about getting a gun and allegedly offered him an amount of $800 for the same. Official records state that on May 19, Peter provided Amy with the .25-caliber handgun and picked her up from her high school. Reports state that Amy and Peter then changed the license plate of the vehicle. Further police records indicate that Peter waited in the car as Amy went up to Mary’s door and shot her.
Shortly after, a neighbor of Mary came forward to report seeing a vehicle on the day of the shooting. According to investigative reports, the identification of the car helped authorities finally arrest Peter on June 11, 1992. He was indicted on the charges of criminal sale of a weapon and being an accomplice to the shooting. In order to avoid a trial, Peter reportedly agreed to cooperate with the prosecution against Amy. He entered into a guilty plea deal on the charge of sale of a weapon in January 1993. The court ultimately sentenced him to six months in prison on February 5, 1993. As per court records, he was released from prison after serving four months of his sentence. As of writing, Peter appears to have decided to lead a quiet life and maintain a low profile. Moreover, no public reports currently provide any information about his present whereabouts.
Read More: Amy Fisher: What Happened to Mary Jo Buttafuoco’s Shooter?
