Amy Fisher - Wikipedia

American writer and porn star (born 1974)

Amy Fisher
Fisher in 2004
Born	Amy Elizabeth FisherAugust 1974 (age 51)Merrick, New York, U.S.
Known for	"Long Island Lolita" incident

Amy Elizabeth Fisher (born 1974[1]) is an American woman, who, in 1992, at the age of 17, shot and severely wounded Mary Jo Buttafuoco, the wife of Joey Buttafuoco, who had initiated a sexual relationship with the underaged Fisher in 1990.[2] Buttafuoco would later be convicted of statutory rape and served four months in prison. Initially charged with first-degree attempted murder, Fisher eventually pleaded guilty to first-degree aggravated assault and served seven years in prison. Due to her age and her relationship with a much older man, she became known in the news media as the "Long Island Lolita". Fisher was paroled in 1999 and became a writer, a webcam model, and pornographic film actress.

Early life

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Fisher was born in August 1974[3]: 31  in Merrick, New York, on Long Island,[4] to Elliot and Roseann Fisher.[5] Her father was Jewish while her mother was raised in an Italian-American family.[3]: 31 [note 1] As a child, Fisher was sexually abused by a family member and raped at age 13 by a contractor working in the family's home.[1] Fisher met 35-year-old Joey Buttafuoco in December 1990, when her father took his car for repairs to Buttafuoco's auto body shop;[1] Fisher later said she had damaged her own car several times as a pretext to see him.[6] They began a sexual relationship the following summer,[1] while Fisher was still underage[7] and a student at John F. Kennedy High School in Bellmore, New York,[8]

Shooting of Mary Jo Buttafuoco

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Buttafuoco often complained about his wife Mary Jo Buttafuoco to Fisher, hinting that he wanted Mary Jo "out of the picture".[1] In an effort to please him, the still-underaged Fisher obtained a FIE Titan .25-caliber handgun[9] with the assistance of Peter Guagenti, a Brooklyn auto supply salesman who acted as her getaway driver.[10][11]

On May 19, 1992, Fisher went to the Buttafuoco's house on Long island. When Mary Jo Buttafuoco answered the door, Fisher said her name was Ann Marie and told Buttafuoco that her husband was having an affair with her "sister", showing her a T-shirt from Buttafuoco's auto body shop as proof. Angered by the accusations, Buttafuoco finally told Fisher to leave and turned back to return to the house.[12] Fisher than pulled out the gun and shot Buttafuoco in the right side of her head, severely wounding but not killing her.[1][8] Later Fisher said Buttafuoco fell on her.[13] Fisher dropped both the shirt and the gun and ran towards the car, but then returned for them and Guagenti drove off. Neighbors called 911; Buttafuoco was operated on all night, and although they could not remove the bullet, doctors were able to save her life.[12]

When interviewed by police, Joey Buttafuoco told them that Fisher could be the shooter. When Mary Jo regained consciousness the next day, she recognized Fisher from a photo. Fisher was arrested and charged with attempted murder, and on September 23, 1992, after accepting a plea bargain, she pleaded guilty to first-degree assault.[13]

Joey Buttafuoco denied having an affair with Fisher. In October 1992, the Nassau County District Attorney stated that Buttafuoco would not be prosecuted. However, in February 1993, the case against him was reopened due to rape charges made by Fisher. She testified against him in court and based on this testimony and hotel receipts (dated before Fisher's 17th birthday) with Buttafuoco's signature on them, Buttafuoco was charged with statutory rape. After pleading guilty in October 1993, he served four months in prison.[14]

On December 2, 1992, Fisher was sentenced to 5 to 15 years in prison.[15] She served seven years and was granted parole in May 1999 after Nassau County Court Judge Ira Wexner shortened her maximum sentence to 10 years, which made her immediately eligible for parole. Wexner acted after having found that Fisher had not been appropriately represented by her lawyer at the time of her 1992 guilty plea.[16] She remained on parole until 2003.[1]

Public profile

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Fisher's story was often sensationalized by the news media, who dubbed her the "Long Island Lolita". Fisher was interviewed by Oprah Winfrey, and her story was featured heavily in the tabloid press and became the subject of several made-for-TV movies and numerous books and magazine articles.[1]

In September 1992, the tabloid television show Hard Copy broadcast a videotaped conversation between Fisher and Paul Makely, the owner of a gym in Massapequa. In the tape, recorded hours before she agreed to her plea bargain, Fisher could be seen talking about her future, saying that she wanted to marry Makely so he could visit her in prison. Fisher explained that her lawyer believed requiring people to be married for such visits was unconstitutional and that she intended to challenge the law on this matter. Fisher could be seen on the tape saying: "I want my name in the press. Why? Because I can make a lot of money. I figure if I'm going through all this pain and suffering, I'm getting a Ferrari."[17][18][19]

According to screenwriter Alan Ball, Fisher's story was an inspiration to him in writing the script for the 1999 film American Beauty.[20][21][22]

Life after prison

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After her release from prison, Fisher became a columnist for the Long Island Press. Her biography, If I Knew Then..., written by Robbie Woliver, was published in 2004[23] and became a New York Times bestseller. In 2003, Fisher married. She had three children before divorcing in 2015.[24]

In 2006, Fisher reunited with Mary Jo Buttafuoco in sessions televised for Entertainment Tonight and its spinoff, The Insider. Fisher said she wanted to heal and move on with her life. However, two years later, she said she felt "no sympathy for Mary Jo,"[25] without giving an explanation. Fisher and Joey Buttafuoco eventually reunited for the first time at the 2006 Lingerie Bowl for the coin toss.[citation needed]

In June and July 2011 Fisher appeared as a cast member in the fifth season of the reality-television series Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, which aired on VH1.[26]

Sex tape and adult entertainment career

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In October 2007, Red Light District Video published a press release stating that it intended to release a sex tape of the couple that Fisher's husband had sold the company.[27] On October 31, frames from the video, showing Fisher naked, were posted at websites; on November 1, 2007, a teaser clip was released by Red Light District Video, showing Fisher naked while she showered and sunbathed. Visible were a tattoo around her navel and the results of breast surgery. On November 6, 2007, Fisher sued Red Light District and its owner, David Joseph, claiming copyright infringement and other damages.[28] But by November 8, 2007, amyfisher.com, a website, whose ownership Fisher had previously fought to win,[23] had begun pointing directly to the Red Light District website.[29]

In early January 2008, Fisher announced that she had settled with Red Light and agreed to do a related promotional appearance. The same announcement indicated that she and her husband had reconciled.[14] The promotional appearance took place at Retox in New York City on January 4, 2008.[30] Clips of the video were played on The Howard Stern Show. On March 6, 2008, Fisher was a guest on the Stern show, and one topic of discussion was meant to be her video. After the first phone call, which was from Mary Jo Buttafuoco's daughter, Jessica, Fisher left the show, six minutes into her interview.[31]

On January 12, 2009, Fisher released a pay-per-view adult film, Amy Fisher: Totally Nude & Exposed.[30] She signed a deal with Lee Entertainment to become a stripper doing club shows at least once a month. Fisher said she planned to strip until her fans told her, "Dear, please put your clothes back on. You're too old."[32] In September 2010, DreamZone Entertainment released the adult film Deep inside Amy Fisher, calling it the first of eight such films Fisher would produce and in which she would star. The company had announced the movie in July 2010 under the working title The Making of Amy Fisher: Porn Star.[33] In June 2011, Fisher said she was no longer making adult films.[24]

Books and films

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As author

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• With Weller, Sheila (1993). Amy Fisher: My Story. New York: Pocket Books. ISBN 978-0-671-86558-0.
• With Woliver, Robbie (2004). If I Knew Then... New York: iUniverse. ISBN 978-0-595-32445-3.

As subject

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• Eftimiades, Maria (1992). Lethal Lolita: A True Story of Sex, Scandal and Deadly Obsession. St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-0-312-95062-0.
• Dominguez, Pier (2001). Amy Fisher: Anatomy of a Scandal: The Myth, the Media and the Truth Behind the Long Island Lolita Story. Writers Club Press. ISBN 978-0-595-18417-0.

Made-for-TV movies

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• Amy Fisher: My Story, broadcast on NBC in 1992 with Noelle Parker starring as Fisher.
• Casualties of Love: The "Long Island Lolita" Story, broadcast on CBS in 1993 with Alyssa Milano starring as Fisher.
• The Amy Fisher Story, broadcast on ABC in 1993 with Drew Barrymore starring as Fisher.
• I Am Mary Jo Buttafuoco, broadcast on Lifetime in 2026 with Maddy Hillis starring as Fisher.[34]

Notes

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1. ^ In My Story, Fisher says her maternal grandfather "wasn't Italian, he was a mixture of a lot of different things, including English".[full citation needed]

References

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1. ^ a b c d e f g h Poore, Jane; Gunnison, Elaine (2016). "Fisher, Amy (1974–)". In Chermak, Steven; Bailey, Frankie Y. (eds.). Crimes of the Centuries: Notorious Crimes, Criminals, and Criminal Trials in American History, Volume 1. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-Clio. pp. 266–268. ISBN 978-1-61069-594-7 – via Google Books. Amy Elizabeth Fisher was born in 1974 in Long Island, New York.
2. ^ "Amy Fisher, 'Long Island Lolita,' granted parole". CNN. May 6, 1999. Archived from the original on August 26, 2009.
3. ^ a b Kasindorf, Jeanie (August 10, 1992). "Running Wild: The Amy Fisher Story". New York. Vol. 25, no. 31. pp. 28–39. ISSN 0028-7369 – via Google Books.
4. ^ "Amy Fisher: Reality Television Star, Criminal (1974–)". Biography.com. A&E Networks. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
5. ^ Schemo, Diana Jean (June 12, 1992). "Hidden and Haunted Behind the Headlines; Parents of an Accused Long Island Teen-Ager Are Prisoners of Sensation-Seekers". The New York Times. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
6. ^ Barron, James (October 18, 1992). "Amy Fisher Case: Parable or Aberration?; How Shooting Lives On". The New York Times. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
7. ^ "Buttafuoco Admits to Sex With Amy Fisher". The New York Times. October 6, 1993. section B, p. 6. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on January 22, 2009. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
8. ^ a b O'Brien, Philip (May 18, 2006). "Classics: 'Long Island Lolita' May 19, 1992". New York: WCBS-TV. Archived from the original on May 10, 2010.
9. ^ "Relive the Amy Fisher story 25 years later". Newsday. May 19, 2017. Retrieved August 5, 2020.[dead link]
10. ^ Schemo, Diana Jean (June 13, 1992). "Man Held In Gun Sale To L.I. Girl". The New York Times. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
11. ^ "Jail for Accomplice In Amy Fisher Case". The New York Times. Associated Press. February 5, 1993. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
12. ^ a b Bell, Rachel. "Amy Fisher". truTV. Archived from the original on January 25, 2009. Retrieved February 21, 2009.
13. ^ a b Schemo, Diana Jean (September 24, 1992). "Amy Fisher Pleads Guilty To Assault". The New York Times. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
14. ^ a b Davis, Richard (January 4, 2008). "Amy Fisher to promote sex tape with husband". CNN. Archived from the original on February 21, 2009. Retrieved February 21, 2009.
15. ^ McQuiston, John T. (December 2, 1992). "Amy Fisher Gets a Maximum of 15 Years". The New York Times. Retrieved June 7, 2013.
16. ^ McQuiston, John T. (May 11, 1999). "Amy Fisher Is Released After Almost 7 Years in Prison". The New York Times. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
17. ^ "Amy Fisher Taped Saying She Deserves A Ferrari For Pain". Associated Press. September 25, 1992. Retrieved January 5, 2016.[dead link]
18. ^ "Trial of Long Island teen takes strange twists Tape shows Fisher bragging about her notoriety". Daily News. New York. September 25, 1992. Retrieved January 5, 2016 – via The Baltimore Sun.
19. ^ "Secret Video Tape: Amy Wants Sex in Prison". United Press International. September 25, 1992. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
20. ^ Kimmel, Daniel M. The Dream Team: The Rise and Fall of DreamWorks and the Lessons of Hollywood. Chicago: Ivan R. Dee. p. 106. ISBN 978-1-56663-654-4. As he would recount it, Ball was inspired by seeing a lurid comic-book version of the Joey Buttafuoco / Amy Fisher story—where a man was prepared to leave and perhaps kill his wife in order to be with his teenage lover.
21. ^ "American Beauty Secrets". E! News. September 15, 2024. Retrieved January 23, 2026.
22. ^ Bose, Swapnil Dhruv (September 8, 2020). "The true story that inspired Sam Mendes' 1999 film 'American Beauty'". Far Out. Retrieved January 23, 2026.
23. ^ a b Kilgannon, Corey (September 29, 2004). "Lolita's Chapter 2: Motherhood and Memoirs". The New York Times. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
24. ^ a b "Amy Fisher: 'I Need to Drink'". The Insider. Archived from the original on July 9, 2011. 'In my private life I'm married [...] I have three children.'
25. ^ "Amy Fisher: 'I Feel No Sympathy' for Mary Jo Buttafuoco". Fox News. February 11, 2008. Archived from the original on January 25, 2009. Retrieved February 21, 2009.
26. ^ Ward, Kate (March 3, 2011). "'Celebrity Rehab': Michael Lohan, Amy Fisher, Bai Ling join season 5". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 23, 2016. Retrieved September 14, 2017.
27. ^ "Red Light District to Distribute Amy Fisher Sex Video". PR Newswire. October 31, 2007. Archived from the original on December 11, 2012. Retrieved February 21, 2009.
28. ^ Warren, Peter (November 6, 2007). "Amy Fisher Files Complaint Against Red Light". Adult Video News. Archived from the original on November 9, 2007. Retrieved November 7, 2007.
29. ^ "Amy Fisher.com - lalate news exclusive about AmyFisher domain name". Lalate. November 9, 2007. Archived from the original on January 7, 2009.
30. ^ a b Boyka, Olga (January 21, 2009). "Amy Fisher stars in a pay-per-view porn special". Daily News. New York. Archived from the original on February 26, 2009. Retrieved February 21, 2009.
31. ^ "Amy Fisher storms out of Howard Stern chat". United Press International. March 6, 2008. Archived from the original on September 15, 2012. Retrieved August 13, 2009.
32. ^ Valenti, John (February 18, 2009). "Amy Fisher to tour country as high-paid stripper". Newsday. New York City / Long Island. Archived from the original on February 21, 2009.
33. ^ Lovece, Frank (September 29, 2010). "Amy Fisher visits 'Maury' to promote her adult films". Newsday. New York City / Long Island. Archived from the original on December 9, 2011.
34. ^ Wang, K. L. Connie (December 26, 2025). "Where Is Mary Jo Buttafuoco Now? Plus, Exclusive First Look at Lifetime's 'I Am Mary Jo Buttafuoco'". Parade. Retrieved January 23, 2026.

Further reading

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• Fisher, Amy (June 19, 2002). "Judging Amy". Long Island Press. Archived from the original on July 31, 2010.
• Morey, Jed (August 19, 2009). "Changing Amy". Long Island Press. Archived from the original on August 21, 2009.

External links

[edit] Wikimedia Commons has media related to Amy Fisher.

• Amy Fisher at IMDb
• Amy Fisher at the Internet Adult Film Database
• Amy Fisher at the Adult Film Database

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