Joey Buttafouco’s publicist has set up another headline grabber for his client. In an interview on FOX News, sporting gray “vote for amy and joey” t-shirts Joey and his publicist discussed an upcoming reunion meeting with Amy Fisher. Will the publicity stunt end in a long-term reunion for the two felons and erstwhile lovers? According to reports, the two have been talking again, and are looking forward to the meeting.
The meeting between Joey Buttafouco and Amy Fisher is set to be in New York’s Central Park. On a FOX News interview, Buttafouco said his primary reason in meeting Ms. Fisher is to find out what was going on at that point in his life. He has repeatedly claimed that he was on medications, and couldn’t think and reason well, at the time of the incident. When pressed as to whether he expected an intimate reunion with Amy Fisher, he and his publicist nodded. Buttafouco commented that it is strong possibility.
1992, the Buttafouco name grabbed national headlines when Joey Buttafouco’s 16 year-old lover, Amy Fisher, attempted to kill his wife. Fisher left Mary Jo Buttafouco with permanent damage following a shot to the head. Amy Fisher went to jail for attempted homicide, and Joey Buttafouco went to jail for statutory rape of the sixteen year-old.
Buttafouco has had several run-ins with the law since 1992. He moved to California in hopes of becoming an actor. It never panned out for more than a few small parts. In 1995 he was arrested for picking up a hooker, who happened to be an undercover agent. Once he got out of prison, he opened an auto shop. He ended up in jail again, this time for insurance fraud. He also lost his license as an auto mechanic.
Unbelievably, Mary Jo Buttafouco remained married to Joey until they moved to California. He remarried, but has once again divorced.
Where does Amy Fisher fit into the equation? In her co-written book, Amy Fisher: My Story, explains her sexual promiscuity as a teen. She claims to have been sexually abused repeatedly, even raped, and to have had an abortion before she ever met Buttafouco at the age of fifteen. Amy and Joey met at his auto repair shop, when she took her car in for repairs. As their relationship developed, one day Joey, then 35, drove the 15 year-old home where their first sexual encounter occurred.
Amy became hyper-focused on Joey. She lost interest in family, friends, and school. Upon Joey’s suggestion, Amy Fisher got a job with an escort service, and started making good money. Amy’s obsession with Joey only grew. Ultimately, she gave him a choice: his wife or her. She was astounded when Joey chose to stay with his wife. She feigned an attempted suicide attempt with superficial cuts on her wrists.
There was a short hiatus in the relationship, when Amy began dating the owner of a local gym. However, before long she and Joey were back together. Amy Fisher then began to obsess on how to get rid of the biggest obstacle in her relationship with Joey, Mary Joe Buttafouco. Amy claims Joey knew about her plans to kill his wife. She said they discussed them, and he even called her to see if she had a gun. Joey denies any knowledge of Amy’s intent to harm his wife.
May 17, 1992, at 11:30 A.M. Amy Fisher, armed with a Titan .25 semi-automatic gun, went to the Buttafouco home to kill Mary Joe. She was driven by the accomplice who helped her obtain the gun. Mary Jo Buttafouco and Amy had a short confrontation on the front porch of the Buttafouco home. Amy then knocked Mary Joe to the ground and shot her in the head, leaving her for dead.
Joey Buttafouco fingered Amy’s ex-boyfriend in the shooting. He denied the affair and Amy’s allegations that he had given her the gun. When Mary Joe pulled through the severe head injury, Joey gave up Amy, telling people that she might be the shooter. Mary Joe identified her in a picture as the assailant.
Amy, in exchange for testifying against Joey, the district attorney got her sentence reduced to fifteen years for attempted murder, assault, armed felony, and criminal use of a firearm. Mary Fisher served seven years. In 2003, she married a man 24 years her senior. They have one son and live in Long Island, where Amy has become a columnist.
Amy’s husband suspects that she may want to get back together with Buttafouco. He cites her recent breast enhancement, and interest in the meeting with Buttafouco. He is reported as having expressed concern for his marriage.
The final chapter of this epic tragedy remains to be written. Viewers of Geraldo at Large, on FOX News, May 13, were encouraged to visit website to vote for whether Joey and Amy should get back together. I cannot fathom the public encouraging or even participating in this farce. Has Amy Fisher grown up, as she claims? Has Joey Buttafouco changed? It didn’t appear that he had. A heinous crime and great tragedy is being revived for cheap publicity. I am interested in seeing how society reacts to the revival of the “Long Island Lolita” story.
Meanwhile, I feel sure we can rely on David Letterman to fall back on the butt of his favorite jokes, Joey Buttafouco.
Resources:
Buttafouco, Joey, Interview with Geraldo Rivera on FOX News, Sunday, May 13, 2007
Montaldo, Charles. “Amy Fisher, The ‘Long Island Lolita.'” About: Crime/Punishment.
http://crime.about.com/od/female_offenders/p/amyfisher.htm
Montaldo, Charles. “Joey Buttafouco Released from Jail.” About: Crime/Punishment
