The Infamous 1992 Shooting
The defining event of the story took place on May 19, 1992, when 17-year-old Amy Fisher went to the Buttafuoco home in Massapequa, New York. Fisher, who had been having an affair with 36-year-old auto-body shop owner Joey Buttafuoco, rang the doorbell. When Joey’s wife, Mary Jo Buttafuoco, answered the door, Fisher shot her in the shead before fleeing the scene. The bullet lodged in Mary Jo’s neck, leaving her with severe, life-altering injuries, including partial facial paralysis and deafness in one ear. The case instantly became a tabloid sensation due to the sordid details of the affair and the shocking violence in a quiet suburban setting. Fisher was quickly identified, arrested, and dubbed the “Long Island Lolita” by the press.
Amy Fisher’s Assault Conviction
Initially charged with first-degree attempted murder, Amy Fisher eventually accepted a plea bargain. In September 1992, she pleaded guilty to first-degree aggravated assault. This plea allowed her to avoid a potentially longer sentence had she been convicted of the original, more serious charge. In December 1992, a judge sentenced Fisher to 5 to 15 years in state prison. The decision, though met with anger by Mary Jo Buttafuoco who saw it as an “assassination,” marked the beginning of Fisher’s incarceration and her subsequent years spent out of the public eye while serving her time behind bars.
Joey Buttafuoco’s Statutory Rape Charges
While his wife was fighting for her life and Fisher was being prosecuted, Joey Buttafuoco initially denied having an affair with Fisher. However, as the investigation continued and evidence, including hotel receipts, mounted, he faced legal repercussions for his relationship with the minor. In February 1993, the case against him was reopened, leading to charges of statutory rape. He later pleaded guilty to the charge, admitting to having sex with Fisher when she was 16 and knowing her age at the time. Buttafuoco was sentenced to six months in jail, ultimately serving four months and nine days before his release, a sentence often criticized for its brevity compared to Fisher’s.
Mary Jo’s Enduring Injuries and Trauma
Mary Jo Buttafuoco survived the gunshot wound but lived with permanent, severe physical consequences. The bullet remained lodged in her neck, as surgery to remove it was deemed too dangerous. She suffered from permanent partial facial paralysis and deafness in one ear. Beyond the physical scars, she endured significant emotional trauma and had to grapple with the betrayal of her husband. Her struggle was a constant backdrop to the national headlines, representing the ultimate victim of the whole tragic saga. She later used her experience to advocate for victims of domestic violence and sociopathic relationships.
Amy Fisher’s Early Release from Prison
After serving seven years of her 5 to 15-year sentence, Amy Fisher was granted parole and released from prison in May 1999. Her release came after Nassau County Court Judge Ira Wexner shortened her maximum sentence to 10 years, making her immediately eligible for parole. Wexner’s decision was based on a finding that Fisher had not been appropriately represented by her lawyer at the time of her 1992 guilty plea. Upon her release, she apologized to Mary Jo Buttafuoco in court, stating that the fault was hers alone and not Joey’s.
Mary Jo Divorces Joey Buttafuoco
Despite initially standing by her husband throughout the public scrutiny and his statutory rape conviction, Mary Jo Buttafuoco filed for divorce. The couple officially split in 2003, concluding a marriage that had been irrevocably shattered by the scandal and Joey’s infidelity. Her decision marked a significant turning point in her life, prioritizing her own healing and moving on from the toxic environment of her marriage. The divorce allowed her to step further away from the drama and focus on her physical recovery, her children, and creating a new life for herself outside of the infamous case.
Joey Buttafuoco’s Post-Scandal Legal Issues
Joey Buttafuoco’s legal troubles did not end with his 1993 statutory rape conviction. He continued to face run-ins with the law, further cementing his reputation for scandal. In 1995, he pleaded no contest to a solicitation-of-prostitution charge. More significantly, in 2004, he was sentenced to a year in jail and five years of probation after pleading guilty to auto insurance fraud in California. As part of that sentence, he was permanently barred from working in the auto body industry in the state, signaling a continued pattern of criminal behavior that followed him after the original Long Island case.
Amy Fisher’s Memoir and New Life
Following her release from prison, Amy Fisher attempted to transition into a quieter, more normal life. She published her 2004 memoir, If I Knew Then, which detailed her troubled past and her experiences during the affair and in prison. She married Louis Bellera in 2003 and went on to have three children. Her attempts to find stability in marriage and motherhood represented a clear effort to move past her infamous teenage identity. However, her marriage eventually ended in divorce in 2015, and the glare of the media would occasionally return to her life.
The Infamous Television Movies
The sensational nature of the case led to an unprecedented media frenzy, including the rapid-fire production of three made-for-television movies, all airing in 1993. These films – The Amy Fisher Story, Beyond Control: The Amy Fisher Story, and Casualties of Love: The Long Island Lolita Story, each offered a slightly different perspective on the events, capitalizing on the public’s fascination. The deals for these TV rights were instrumental in financing the legal defense for both Amy Fisher and the Buttafuocos’ medical and legal bills, turning the private tragedy into a high-stakes, public entertainment spectacle.
Mary Jo’s Book and Public Advocacy
In 2010, Mary Jo Buttafuoco published her own memoir, Getting It Through My Thick Skull: Why I Stayed, What I Learned, and What Millions of People Involved with Sociopaths Need to Know. The book offered her side of the story, giving a deep look into her relationship with Joey and the agonizing process of healing and recovery. Mary Jo has since devoted herself to advocating for others, raising awareness about the emotional and psychological toll of staying in a relationship with a narcissistic or sociopathic partner, turning her painful experience into a source of support for others.
Joey’s Foray into Reality TV
After moving to California, Joey Buttafuoco attempted to monetize his notoriety by appearing in various media projects. He appeared in a handful of low-budget films and several television shows, often leaning into his established, tough-guy persona. These appearances included reality TV and celebrity grudge-match programs like Celebrity Boxing, as well as segments on daytime talk and court shows. This public maneuvering indicated a willingness to remain in the spotlight and profit from the scandal that had initially destroyed his marriage and landed him in legal trouble.
Amy Fisher’s Brief Adult Film Career
In 2007, Amy Fisher re-entered the media for a brief period by starring in adult films, a move that surprised many who had followed her attempts at a normal life. This short-lived career choice was met with significant public and media attention, as it contrasted sharply with her image as a mother and memoirist. By 2011, she had publicly stepped away from the adult entertainment industry, reflecting a continuous, challenging search for identity and financial stability after the massive disruption of her youth.
The Buttafuoco Children’s Struggle
The tragic events deeply affected Joey and Mary Jo Buttafuoco’s children, Paul and Jessie, who were young when the shooting occurred. Their daughter, Jessie Buttafuoco, has publicly spoken about the toll the scandal took on her and her brother. She revealed that growing up in the shadow of the infamous case led her to struggle with substance abuse and emotional issues as a way to cope with the family trauma and the intense public scrutiny. Her candid accounts highlight the often-overlooked victims of high-profile true crime stories.
Mary Jo’s Forgiveness and Healing
In a bizarre twist of fate driven by the media, Amy Fisher and Mary Jo Buttafuoco agreed to meet for a televised reunion in 2006 for the program Entertainment Tonight. Despite the devastating trauma inflicted upon her, Mary Jo Buttafuoco eventually spoke publicly about forgiving Amy Fisher. She expressed this sentiment in court upon Fisher’s release and in subsequent media interviews, stating that she chose to forgive to free herself from the pain. In addition to emotional recovery, she sought and underwent significant surgical procedures, including nerve-repair surgery, to improve the permanent partial facial paralysis caused by the gunshot. Her focus shifted from being a victim to being an advocate for survivors and a symbol of resilience.
Joey Buttafuoco’s Second Marriage
Following his 2003 divorce from Mary Jo, Joey Buttafuoco remarried Evanka Franjko in 2005, seeking a new start away from his Long Island past. This marriage, and his subsequent life in California, indicated an attempt to establish stability and move on from the public chaos of the 1990s. Despite his continued legal troubles and occasional media appearances, he ultimately built a new, albeit lower-profile, private life after the intense media scrutiny of the previous decade subsided.
Amy Fisher’s Return to Long Island
After her release and subsequent attempts at a new life, including marriage, children, a memoir, and media appearances, Amy Fisher eventually returned to Long Island, the very location where the tragic events of her youth unfolded. Her return to the area suggested an attempt to settle into a normal life closer to her family roots, despite the history she carried there. The move symbolized a complex process of coming to terms with the past in the same place where she became a national sensation.
The Lasting Nickname: “Long Island Lolita”
The moniker “Long Island Lolita,” bestowed upon Amy Fisher by the media, is one of the most enduring legacies of the case. The nickname instantly sensationalized the story, emphasizing the age difference and sexual aspects of the affair, fitting it neatly into a scandalous, tabloid narrative. This sensationalism contributed significantly to the case’s intense cultural impact, but it also arguably overshadowed the severity of the crime and the long-term impact on Mary Jo Buttafuoco, forever linking Amy Fisher to this controversial label.
The Case’s Continued Cultural Legacy
Decades after the shooting, the Amy Fisher and Joey Buttafuoco case maintains a significant cultural footprint. It is frequently revisited in true-crime documentaries, podcasts, and articles that explore the moral complexities, media frenzy, and long-term consequences. The story has become a touchstone for discussions about teenage exploitation, media ethics, and the fallout of high-profile scandals, proving that the events of 1992 continue to resonate as a powerful cautionary tale about sex, crime, and tabloid culture in America.
For years, the story of Joey Buttafuoco and Amy Fisher was a grim cycle of crime, consequence, and tabloid spectacle. While their names may no longer dominate the daily headlines, both individuals, and the true victim, Mary Jo Buttafuoco, found distinct ways to forge a path forward. Decades later, many wonder how the central figures in this high-profile scandal rebuilt their lives after the headlines faded.
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This story Whatever Happened to Joey Buttafuoco and Amy Fisher? was first published on Daily FETCH
