The Buttafuoco family has lived in the public eye for close to 30 years, with tabloid articles, made-for-TV movies and television specials focusing on almost every facet of their lives. Mary Jo Buttafuoco’s attempted murder in May 1992 served as the catalyst for the entire situation. Growing up Buttafuoco is an episode of ABC’s ’20/20′ in which the family confronts their past and discusses what they endured and how they overcame it. You’ve therefore come to the appropriate location if you’re here because you’re interested in learning all the specifics of the situation. Here is everything we do know.
Mary Jo Buttafuoco’s Attempted Murder
Mary Jo Buttafuoco’s world completely changed on May 19, 1992. She awoke close to her husband, Joey Buttafuoco, at the family’s Massapequa, Long Island, New York, home as the day began absolutely normally. She routinely dropped off her kids at school as usual, but around lunchtime, the doorbell rang. A young woman was standing there as Mary Jo opened the door, and a male was seated in a car that was parked right behind her. The woman identified herself as “Anne Marie” and stated that she was 19 years old.
Mary Jo and Anne struck up a conversation, and Anne showed Mary Jo a T-shirt for the neighbourhood auto body business where her husband Joey worked. She then acknowledged that she had evidence that Joey was dating a teenager — her 16-year-old sister – once she realised she had Mary Jo’s full attention. Mary Jo thanked Anne for stopping by and turned around to go back inside her house despite being surprised by this knowledge. That is when it took place. Aiming directly at Mary Jo Buttafuoco’s head, the young woman fired one round at her.
A little while later, Mary Jo was discovered bleeding but thankfully still alive on her porch at home. She was taken immediately to the hospital. The medics tried for seven hours to remove the bullet from inside her, but they were unable. In addition to breaking Mary Jo’s jaw, the shot was fired in such a way that the bullet destroyed her carotid artery before impaling itself at the base of her brain, directly above her spinal column. Mary Jo defied expectations and woke up, even going so far as to identify the person who shot her. It was first thought that she wouldn’t make it through her rehabilitation.
Why Did Amy Fisher Shoot Mary Jo Buttafuoco?
The person who attempted to murder Mary Jo was not a 19-year-old named Anne Marie. Joey Buttafuoco identified the T-shirt that was given to Mary Jo as one that he had given to a man called Elliott Fisher who also resided in Long Island and had a daughter named Amy Fisher who was 17 years old after Mary Jo explained the situation to everyone. And as it turned out, she was the one who fired the shot. Amy Fisher was therefore detained and accused with first-degree attempted murder. Let’s face it; her justification for doing it is as puzzling as the crime she did. Amy shot Mary Jo because she was having a sexual relationship with Joey and was envious of her. She was dubbed the “Long Island Lolita” by tabloid media.
In the summer of 1991, when their relationship first started, Joey was 36 and Amy was 16, one month short of turning 17 and still underage. Joey repeatedly disputed their relationship at first, but now he acknowledges it and calls it “inappropriate.” There was also evidence of its existence. Similar to this, Amy claimed it was an accident when she pulled the trigger when she was apprehended. Though it wasn’t. Steven Sleeman and Chris Drellos, two men, came forward and said that months before that fatal May day, Amy had approached them and asked for their assistance in killing Mary Jo. Chris had disputed it, but Steven said he had committed to assist her.
When Amy’s case went to court, Steven testified that he and Amy went to the Buttafucos’ home on November 1, 1991, with the intention of killing Mary Jo, but said he never fired his gun because he couldn’t get a clear shot during the time they were there. A few weeks later, he attempted it once more, shooting, but this time he missed. Since Steven testified against Amy, he has been granted complete immunity. Along with this, Peter Guagenti, who was recognised as the passenger in the automobile that day, was also detained. He was accused of being Amy’s accomplice and found guilty of selling a firearm illegally since he gave her the rifle. He was only given a four-month prison term because the evidence he presented against Amy was so important.
As a result, Amy Fisher entered a plea of guilty to the lesser charge of first-degree aggravated assault in September 1992. And on December 2, 1992, she was found guilty and given a 15-year prison term with a five-year parole chance despite all the evidence against her.
