What kind of 36-year old sleazeball has an affair with a teenage girl? Joey. That's him over on the left.
Unfortunately, the girl he was seeing was a nutball herself. Amy Fisher was young Jewish girl who, when she was 16, damaged her parents' car. She took the car to Joey's shop and asked him to fix it without telling her parents so she wouldn't get in trouble. Joey, sensing an opportunity, agreed to do that. And more. After fixing the car, Joey returned it to 16-year old Amy and hit on her. The two started having sex. Frequently.
Miraculously, even though a bullet entered her skull, Mary Jo survived. Without any damage. She had a bullet lodged in her brain but it didn't harm her.
The story became a huge media sensation. Everyone had an opinion on who was right and who was wrong. Since sexism and the cultural stereotypes of Italian-American men and Jewish women were prevalent then, people expressed their views with reference to these ideas.
Amy plead guilty to attempted murder and ended up serving seven years. Joey was charged with statutory rape (since Amy was a minor) and served six months in prison. Both exploited their popularity with books, paid interviews, paid appearances, etc. Later on, both did ignoble things like Amy starting a porn website and Joey, in a celebrity match, boxed a female pro wrestler. Joey also spent more time in prison for insurance fraud and soliciting a prostitute.
For over a decade, whenever I'd mention to anyone that I came from Long Island, they'd go -- "Oh, do you know Joey Buttafuoco?" And I'd cringe. Joey and Amy are nobody's choice for representative of their hometown.
Have you heard this story?
that story was everywhere
ReplyDeletedidn't they make a tv movie about it???
lifetime channel probably lol
brett
Yes, of course they made a TV movie about it. And, of course, it was awful. (Don't ask how I know.)
DeleteI have heard the names, but not really the story. I tend to ignore sensationalized stories when I can help it, and watching the news too much makes me an unnecessarily anxious person. Not sure if I can call Nashville my hometown, but the Titans quarterback Steve McNair murder-suicide thing was semi-recent.
ReplyDeleteThat's the only thing that comes to mind. Well that and the 2010 flood. (Which I was actually out in!)
Never heard about it! (And man, what a last name on that guy!) Of course, I have a 11.5 year difference in my relationship, so I can't really be one to talk about the age thing. What I will say is that the guy TOTALLY looks like a sleaze ball, and it's extremely unfortunate about the marriage and, particularly, the shooting. That's incredible that she survived!
ReplyDeleteI remember the Long Island Lolita saga clear as day. I could never understand why one woman would shoot another for Joey. (Perhaps that was uncharitable, but honest, why?)
ReplyDeleteI understand your point about peeps' reaction when told you're from Long Island. For years, when I'd tell out-of-state folks I was from NC, they'd immediately ask, "Isn't that where Jesse Helms is from?" Unfortunately, yes.
I guess she was the prototype for the current 'reality stars' Gaining 'Infamous'- fame and signing bookdeals! -Jyoti
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NY Style Examiner
Omg what an aweful story. I never heard it. Too bad they both got off easy and profited from their cruelty.
ReplyDeleteYou mean you don't know Joey and Amy??? :)
ReplyDeleteI remember this scandal. Too weird. It's sad when your hometown (or name) gets connected to a horrible event/person.
I totally remember that. Sleazeballs, both of them.
ReplyDeleteI do remember this story and it was as you describe it.
ReplyDeleteHey, we heard of that up here in Canada! I totally remember that!
ReplyDeleteMy town...jeez, not much. Nelly Furtado is from here, and so is basketball player Steve Nash. Um...we're really polite...ha!
I remember this story, it made our headlines as well and local mag who carriers these types of stories. From my town, we have a serial killer who I've seen on the Crime Library! Our city is always in the news here with the strange goings on since it's as bad as what New York was pre Rudi Guliani (spelling?)
ReplyDeleteI didn't know this story (no wonder I live in the other part of the world) but it was interesting to read it. very informative. thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteAgrh! I would hate for my town to be associated with such social scums! What an awful story. I was hearing about it for the first time.
ReplyDelete∞ © tanvii.com ∞
I've never heard about this before, maybe because I would have only been 2 or so when it happened. How did Amy get off so lightly? Only seven years? Is it because she was a minor?
ReplyDeleteIt was a combination of factors. She had GREAT lawyers (whom I know personally); there was huge international press coverage; and many people saw her as a sympathetic figure. Many viewed Amy as Joey's pawn, a mere child manipulated by a much older man. In that view, Amy was a "victim".
DeleteOf course, that perspective disregards the harm Amy caused. Mary Jo still has a bullet in her head and it was a miracle she didn't die. The fact that Mary Jo survived made this story less tragic than it might have been; her death would have made Amy's sentence much longer.
Yes! that story made it all the way to my third world country !
ReplyDeleteIn fact I even saw the movie on cable....
We've had some recent "EXPOSURE" on several Americans (US) being killed here - one was even part of a the witness protection program. I think if you google "Wild Bill" you'lle get the news.
Also currently there is a search going on for ANOTHER missing woman:
http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/04/24/2765931/search-intensifies-for-missing.html
Haha I had heard of this scandal and when I was little, I used to see the headlines plastered all over the tabloids. But believe it or not, I did not know the entire story until reading it right now on your blog! How weird is that! I think I was just too young at the time, and by the time I grew up, the story was kind of over. :S
ReplyDeleteIt is a pretty sensational story though. You're right, it has EVERYTHING a good scandal needs. And nobody died! It's a win, win! :P
Craziness. Did you see her on Celebrity Rehab? Ugh.
ReplyDeletexoxo,
Tracy
I haven't ever heard this, but then again, I'm only 20 myself. Someone here at walmart got stabbed and died yesterday, so that was kinda scary.
ReplyDeleteWow, guys. Despite this being a local news story from two decades ago, many of you report having heard of it -- from where you live in Canada, South Africa and Central America. That incredible reach across geography and time demonstrates how big this story was in cultural history: it twanged a chord in modern Western society.
ReplyDeleteOh, I most definitely remember this when it happened. And, yes, I even saw the bad Lifetime movie. But a story like that was BEGGING to be made into a bad Lifetime movie, after all.
ReplyDeleteI can't think of any "scandals," per se, but there is a murder that happened that always scared and intrigued me in childhood and still does. It's still sort of shrouded in mystery. http://ngeorgia.com/ang/Little_Secrets