I Am Mary Jo Buttafuoco (2026) Movie Script
[Mary Jo]: Look, I don't know
what kinda game you're playin'
but I'm not interested!
[Amy]: No, you really need
to hear what I've gotta say.
[Mary Jo]: I told you I'd tell
Joey you stopped by.
That good enough for you?
- No.
[gunshot cracks]
[Mary Jo]: Everyone saw Amy
Fisher as a victim.
A teenaged girl seduced
by an older man.
And in some ways she was.
But that's not the whole truth.
Amy Fisher made choices,
devastating choices, that
nearly cost me my life.
I am Mary Jo Buttafuoco
and this is the first
time you're hearing
the story directly from me.
A story a lot of people
think they know, but don't.
Not all of it. Not everything.
[Man]: Thank you for coming in,
Mary Jo.
Do you mind if I call
you Mary Jo?
[Mary Jo]: Sure.
[Man]: You know, you do not look
like someone
who was uh, shot in the face.
Well, it was over 30
years ago.
It's been a long journey
and the surgeries,
but here I am, still intact.
Here you are.
You know, and that's why I
think now is the time
that we make a documentary
about what you
and Amy Fisher suffered through.
[chuckling]: Excuse me.
The other victim.
I think reuniting you two would
be what I would call undeniable.
Just to make sure
that I'm following.
[Man]: Mm-hmm.
I get shot in the head,
which causes me to go through
decades of living hell.
Me, and my kids.
And you think that Amy Fisher,
the person who shot me,
is the other victim?
Right?
That bullet's still
lodged in my skull.
A permanent reminder of
that day.
Thanks to what happened,
my beautiful, innocent children
and I learned what it
was like to be watched publicly,
long before the Kardashians.
Amy and Joey both made choices
that changed all of
our lives forever.
[reporters]: Joey! Joey! Joey!
[Joey]: Look, I never had
nothin' to do with Amy Fisher.
[Amy]: Joey Buttafuoco took
advantage of my innocence.
I did not sleep
with that girl!
The gun went off by accident.
You'd think, after all
this time,
my story's been fully told,
but it hasn't.
And I'll start by answering
the question
on most people's minds:
Why did I believe Joey
didn't sleep
with Amy Fisher for so long,
after I was shot?
Or should I have realized
what kind of man Joey was
before any of this happened?
The answers are clearer now,
but they weren't back then.
Not when this all started.
Not on day one.
[students chattering]
[Joey]: Think I'm sitting here.
What, are you shy?
[Mary Jo]: My mother told me not
to talk to strangers, is all.
I'm Joey. Joey Buttafuoco.
You are?
Mary Jo. Mary Jo Connery.
So, uh Mary Jo,
you believe in density?
[half-laughs]
- You mean destiny?
No, no, no, I'm talkin'
'bout the teacher.
Don't be mean.
Who's being mean?
Look at all the framed degrees
and diplomas behind her desk.
I'm talkin' about density, like
in the context
of describing
the volume of something.
But hey, seeing as you
brought up destiny.
[tender music playing]
[guests clapping]
[guest]: Hey, hey, hey!
[Joey]: Hey!
I'm the luckiest
guy in the world.
[Mary Jo]: Hmm, not gonna argue
with you.
Oh, you better not,
Mrs. Buttafuoco.
'Cause with
our autobody business,
I'm gonna make sure we get
whatever we want
and whatever we need,
for the rest of our lives.
I can't believe we were able
to save up for and buy a house
on top of planning this wedding!
Stick with me, babe.
You're not gonna have
a bad day from here on out.
Have you been drinking?
It's a celebration, isn't it?
Well, yeah. Whatcha got?
Shh! Come on.
[Mary Jo]: Okay.
Take a sip. That's the spirit.
Oof!
Come on get back to dancing!
[giggles]
You think it's always gonna
be like this.
You and me, on cloud nine.
What could ever stop that?
[laughs happily]
[Mary Jo]: Only, life moved on
a little faster
than either of us expected.
I'm pregnant.
[chuckles]
[Joey]: For real?
Uh... I mean, wasn't this
always the plan?
Get married,
buy a house, have kids?
[Joey]: Yeah...
[Mary Jo]: Yeah.
[Joey]: But uh, are we even done
being kids yet ourselves?
[Mary Jo]: I mean...
[Joey]: Life was just starting
to get good.
[Mary Jo]: Look...
[Joey sighs]
I-I can double check
with my doctor.
I mean, but these tests are
supposed to be pretty accurate.
Plus I'm late, which is why
I did the test
in the first place, you know?
[gentle music]
You know what?
This is great.
This is really, really great.
[Mary Jo]: You mean it?
[Joey]: You can always count
on me. You know that.
No matter what.
And that goes for our kids, too.
I'd never do anything
to hurt ya.
[squeals]
[Mary Jo]: Joey was my first
serious relationship,
my only sexual partner.
I was an Irish Catholic girl
in the 70s.
This was the man I loved,
I trusted.
I was committed to raising
a family with.
Being Joey's other half
became my identity.
And I was sure he loved me
just as much,
even though there were times
he definitely tested my limits.
[siren whooping]
Joey, they just pulled
up behind us.
You weren't speeding, were you?
How should I know?
All right, just say
you're goin' into labor,
so I had to drive
a little faster.
Joey, no, I'm not doin' that.
[Joey]: Just trust me on this,
Mary Jo. Come on!
Don't I always
know what I'm doin'?
[sighs]
[exhales]
What's the problem?
You could a gotten
a ticket, Joey.
Key word, could've.
But I didn't. All 'cause
of my brilliant idea.
[Joey]: Yeah, yeah.
[singing]: Joy to the world...
Ah, stick with me, babe.
I can get away with anything.
[Mary Jo]: I think Joey really
believed that,
which explains why his
behavior got even worse
after I gave birth
to our son, Paul.
[baby crying]
But the time our daughter
Jessie came along,
I was having more and
more trouble keeping track
of Joey and what he was up to.
[gasping]: Ooh, what's that?
It's okay. Yeah.
It's almost time
to take little Jessica back
to the nursery,
Mrs. Buttafuoco.
[Mary Jo]: Oh, I'm waitin'
on my husband.
Uh, he went home to
get our son Paul
so he could bring him here and
meet his little sister.
[nurse]: Visiting hours ended
over 30 minutes ago.
Really?
Promised he was comin' right
back. Didn't he?
Yeah, he did.
Yeah. It's okay, though.
I got you.
I was really excited to be
a good mom and wife.
I knew it was the right thing
to give up the partying.
But Joey, he sorta stayed
a perpetual teenager.
But that's what everyone
loved about him.
My mother considered him a son.
My baby sister Eileen thought of
him as an older brother.
Anytime I tried to share
behavior I was troubled by,
everyone assured me
that's just Joey.
All they saw was his sweetness.
Not that he was usually
trying to make up
for some kind of bad behavior.
Is there a beautiful
woman in here?
[Mary Jo]: For me? Thank you.
Oh, Joey, it's beautiful!
[Joey]: All right, careful.
One big step.
[Mary Jo]: All right. All right.
I trust you. Now we turn?
[Joey]: Ya-dah.
[Mary Jo]: You got me
a sports car?!
[Joey]: A sports car.
[Mary Jo]: Oh!
[Joey]: Mwah! Yeah, I did.
[Mary Jo]: I kept telling myself
he'd eventually get it together
and be the man I thought
I married.
Yeah, honey, I got this.
[Joey]: Babe?
Don't be mad. I didn't mean
to stay out this late.
It's after midnight, Joey.
Remember you promised
you would come home
and help me put the kids to bed?
[Joey]: Things got
a little outta hand.
[Mary Jo]: Did they?
Is it so wrong?
I just wanted
to let off a little steam.
[sighs]
All right, all right,
I messed up.
I...
I think this partyin's
gettin' a little outta hand,
you know? I mean...
[laughs]
No, look, I-I need you
to be a part of this family.
A part that the kids and
I can rely on. You know?
Or, or else, you know...
- Oh. Or else.
[Mary Jo]: Yeah.
Or else what? Hmm?
You can never stay mad
at me, babe.
Hey, I'm not playin'
around, Joey.
I think it's time
you get some help.
Hmm?
Yeah. Help.
Just...
[sighs]
You know, to...
[grunts]
Look just to, just to, just
to control
whatever it is that
makes you...
[explosion noise]
[exhales]
Hmm?
You know you and the kids
mean the world to me.
I'll do anything
to prove that to ya.
Anything?
All right, I will
get some "help".
You will?
[Joey]: Your wish is my command.
I love you, Joey Buttafuoco.
And I love you,
Mary Jo Buttafuoco.
[Mary Jo]: Yeah.
And I'll never stop
provin' that to ya.
Never.
[Mary Jo]: I should have seen
the pattern.
Joey would mess up,
promise to change,
then go right back
to his old ways.
But I loved him. I loved
our kids, our life.
I wanted to believe
him so badly.
[tool rattling]
Yeah, that'll work as
a replacement part.
And I think uh... oh.
Can't be in the work area,
ma'am. It's too dangerous.
I like danger. Makes me hot.
How old are you?
Sixteen. Why, like
what you see?
[embarrassed mutter]
[giggles]
Talkin' 'bout my car.
[Joey]: Looks a little beat
up, to be honest.
[Amy]: Only 'cause I like
to go fast.
And sometimes I get distracted
when I see a cute guy.
You're Elliot
Fisher's daughter.
Oh, guilty.
But don't hold it against me.
My dad has an account here
so he would want you
to take extra special care
of my car.
Would he now?
Mm-hmm.
While I was home taking care
of our kids
and managing our life,
I honestly had no idea
what my husband was really
doing behind my back.
[Amy]: We're not done yet,
are we?
[chuckles] Don't you
ever get tired?
Isn't that what you like
about me?
That I can go longer
and more often than your wife?
All right, all right.
No more of this
pay-per-view stuff, okay?
These one-hour hotel stays
are breakin' my bank.
You'd have a lot more time
and money if you left Mary Jo.
How do you know
my wife's name?
I know your kids' names too,
Paul and Jessica.
What's wrong with that?
You know, I'm 17 now,
which means I'm legal in
the state of New York.
We could get married.
Would you stop?
Undressing you or talking
about getting married?
All of the above.
I-I... I wanna be with
you all the time.
What part of "I'm married"
do you not understand?
[door slams]
[sighs]
This is where I want you
to really pay attention.
I know now that Amy Fisher came
from a troubled background.
That she was struggling with
her own pain.
And I have compassion
for that young girl.
But that doesn't erase
the choices she made next
calculated, deliberate choices.
She was determined to get
what she wanted
and she knew exactly
what she was doing.
[pop music plays on radio]
C'mere.
You're Steven, right?
Yeah.
I'm Amy. I know Lou. He told
me I could find ya here.
[chuckles nervously]
I heard you would do
just about anything to spend a
little time with a girl like me?
He did? I'm...
I mean uh... yeah.
=- As it happens, you are just
the kinda guy I'm lookin' for.
You got a gun, right?
I've been on a few hunting
trips with my uncle.
Got a rifle.
Hmm. Perfect.
'Cause I need you to
kill someone for me.
[swallows hard]
Joey worked hard to provide
for the family.
But I was the one
running the household,
paying the bills, taking care
of every detail of our lives.
Sure, he was a hard worker,
but Joey and my's relationship
was more like mother and son.
I grew up while Joey stayed
a perpetual teenager.
I did a lot of research
on adult men
who showed no signs of maturing.
Peter Pan Syndrome describes
adults
who cling to teenage
habits and attitudes.
Yep, that was Joey, only I
had no idea what to do about it.
Still, never in a million years,
did I think he'd ever
cheat on me and the kids.
[Amy]: Hey.
[Joey]: Thought you were mad at
me for not leaving my wife?
Oh, how could I stay
mad at you, Joey?
[door shuts]
We were meant to be together.
[Joey]: What're you doin'?
Decided you've been
right all along.
Oh yeah?
As long as you're married,
I don't expect you to marry me.
'Course, if that ever changes...
I wanna be the first in line to
be the next Mrs. Buttafuoco.
[tense music]
[birds chirping]
Indistinct chatter
You did good, Steven.
We can use this information
for our next move.
Hello? Now we know when Mary
Jo's all alone in the house.
For?
For when we go there
to shoot her with your gun?
Oh um... right.
You mean my-my r-r-r-rifle?
Mm-hmm.
Um... I mean...
Say it, Steven.
I'm not really sure if I can
actually kill somebody.
I mean, between you and me,
I had a hard time killing
a deer upstate.
Hmm.
[chuckles nervously]
[giggles]
[exhales nervously]
You wanna sleep
with me, don't you?
Then all you've gotta do is
kill that bitch.
Trust me, I'm doing a public
service here.
Mary Jo's an obstacle
that I'm clearin' outta
the way for everyone's sake.
[shaky inhale]
[giggles]
[Steven]: Thanks for treating.
How's it that you come by
so much cash?
I mean, does your boyfriend...
[giggles]
Joey? You can say his name.
Yeah, but you here with me,
isn't that cheating?
Uh, first off, he's cheating
on me with his wife.
Besides, he likes
that I'm so sexual.
It's one of my many qualities.
Cool. So... he just
gives you money?
Actually, I earn it.
Men pay to spend
time with me. You know,
through an escort service?
And Joey's good with that?
Yeah, what'd I just say?
He likes that I'm so comfortable
with my body.
Cool.
So uh, when are you free
to shoot Mary Jo?
The sooner the better.
Gotta make sure I could get
a good aim at her.
You know, for the kill shot.
Don't worry, Steven,
I got a plan.
[knock on door]
Hi. Can I help you?
I'm here to raise money
for my high school.
I think you went there too?
How would you know that?
The uh, principal's office
gave us a list of names
to solicit on account of uh,
he wanted us girls to be safe
when raising money
for the school.
And what are you
sellin' exactly?
[Amy]: Uh, candy bars.
Only got three left, then I'll
meet my goal.
Just, just give me a moment.
What you waitin' for?
[Mary Jo]: Excuse me?
[Amy]: Um... um...
Which one do you want?
You have a nice day.
[Amy]: Yeah, um...
[door shuts]
You too.
This isn't candy for
a school charity.
Is she serious?
[Amy]: What were you waitin'
for, a written invitation?
All you had to do
is take the shot.
You kept on stepping
in front of my aim.
I did not want to shoot you
by mistake.
So instead you didn't end up
shooting anybody.
After I planned
everything perfect.
I tried telling you, I don't
think I could ever kill nobody.
It's "can't kill
anybody" you idiot!
You could forget about me
ever sleepin' with you now.
Sorry.
[scoffs]
Don't be.
I'll find a way to
kill the bitch myself,
if it's the last thing I do.
Amy Fisher became fixated
on Joey.
Looking back, I can see how
he manipulated
that young girl the same way
he manipulated me.
He was that good
at convincing anyone
that they were the
center of his attention.
Everyone loved him.
He was mister fun.
He had everyone fooled.
Especially me.
Your carburetor's filthy.
I gotta take out the whole
thing, clean it up.
I don't wanna let you drive
outta here without,
without me
doin' that, all right?
It's kind of expensive.
It is, yeah.
[chuckles]
[Amy]: Joey, I got good news.
A way we can be together all
the time.
Sir, I'll call you
back, all right?
Out.
[sighs]
- Joey...
Hey, hey. Get it through
that thick skull of yours
once and for all, I'm married.
[huffs]
Not for long, you're not.
[Mary Jo]: Amy Fisher wasn't
about to stop trying.
In her mind, I was the only
thing standing between her
and the life she wanted
with Joey.
And she decided the solution
was to eliminate me.
She was gonna make it happen.
[indistinct chatter]
[Peter]: You're just crazy, man.
I see.
Couldn't help but notice
you been starin'
at me all night.
I'm Peter.
I know.
Amy.
You messin' with me?
No, but you definitely
got somethin' I want.
Do I now?
Relax, Romeo.
I'm here on business.
Business?
Heard you could sell me a gun.
Get lost, little girl.
Eight hundred. Cash.
Wow...
[Amy]: Close your mouth, Peter.
You're practically drooling.
Gun first. Cash second.
Oh yeah? What's third?
You teachin' me how to use it
so I don't miss
my intended target.
[knock on door]
Mrs. Buttafuoco?
Do I know you?
No. Definitely not.
I'm Anne-Marie Fisher.
I'm here 'cause I'm concerned
about my little sister, Amy.
Why do you um, why do
you look so familiar?
Uh, probably seen me and my
sister around the neighborhood.
She's why I'm here.
She's only 17.
And how old are you?
Nineteen. Which is why
I'm,
so concerned about my little
sister, see? 'Cause,
your husband seduced her
when she was even younger
than she is now.
Is... is this some
kind of prank?
Your husband's
Joey Buttafuoco, right?
Listen, look, I'm a little
busy right now
so if you're done messin'
around I'm gonna...
No, no I'm serious.
Your husband and
my little sister
have been sleeping together.
I have proof.
Where'd you get this?
I mean, you can't even get
this at the shop yet.
Your husband gave it to my
little sister.
After he slept with her.
Over and over and over.
Look, I don't know how
you got this, but keep it.
I don't want it.
I'll tell Joey you stopped by.
No, don't do that!
Why not?
Listen, I-I don't want any
trouble. I'm here because...
What are you lookin' at?
Is that who you
came here with?
Look, I don't know what
kinda game you're playin'
but I'm not interested.
I told you I'd tell Joey you
stopped by, all right?
That good enough for you?
[Amy]: No.
[gunshot cracks]
[panicked breathing]
[nurse]: Dr. Flores,
dial 182, please.
[Mary Jo]: In an instant,
everything about my life
was changed forever.
I don't understand. Shouldn't
we have heard something by now?
[doctor]: Mr. Buttafuoco.
Oh, this is Eileen.
This is Mary Jo's sister.
Is Mary Jo okay?
Your wife's still with us.
[relieved exhales]
The bullet severed her
carotid artery
and is lodged at
the base of her brain.
Just above her spinal column.
But she'll be okay?
She'll live?
[Doctor]: Honestly, it's too
early to tell.
We want to operate
but even if she survives
the surgery,
she's likely to
have severe brain damage.
Could even be paralyzed,
deaf, and or blind.
[inhales shakily]
Now, with your permission,
we'll operate right away.
You do what you gotta do.
You go save my wife.
We'll do the best we can.
I don't understand.
Who would do somethin' like
this? Who'd wanna hurt Mary Jo?
Nobody I can think of,
that's for sure.
[monitor beeping]
[doctor]: Mrs. Buttafuoco?
[doctor]: Mrs. Buttafuoco?
[labored, breathy exhale]
Mary Jo, can you hear me?
Can you blink if you hear me?
Mary Jo, you've been shot.
We're doing everything we can
for you.
Stay strong now. Okay?
Mary Jo. Hey, who shot you?
Who did this to you?
[whines]
[doctor]: Don't try to speak,
Mrs. Buttafuoco.
You've been outfitted with
a tracheostomy tube.
We'd better sedate her.
[Eileen]: Can we at least
let her try writing?
[Mary Jo]: I was fighting
for my life
while everyone else was
fighting about the truth.
No one took me
seriously at first
because they were convinced
that I had brain damage.
Not to mention,
they couldn't remove the bullet
since it might've
put me in even more danger.
[whines]
Anne-Marie, who's
is that who shot you?
No. No, we... we don't
know any Anne-Marie.
[Eileen]: She's writing more.
[Mary Jo]: Even with a bullet in
my head
I was determined to be heard.
None of this is
makin' any sense.
[monitor beeping]
[doctor]: Um...
Your wife has suffered a
great deal of harm.
It's very likely she's
delirious or... worse.
We're still assessing
possible brain damage.
[Mary Jo]: I lost track of all
the surgeries
and physical therapy sessions
I had to go through.
I wasn't the one who
committed the crime
but I was the one
paying the price.
[beeping continues]
[knock on door]
[doctor]: Mr. Buttafuoco,
I have some news.
The bullet penetrating your
jaw bone
likely saved your life.
But it got stuck
there and we weren't able
to remove it without
jeopardizing you further.
Unfortunately, with the
bullet being so close
to your brain and spinal cord,
it's likely that your
facial paralysis
and hearing loss are permanent.
Honey, it's okay.
[cries]
You don't, you don't have to.
[unintelligible]
When can I go back to
solid foods at least?
[doctor]: As you know, your jaw
bone was shattered.
So only liquids for now.
And uh, how 'bout her eye?
Well, she has to wear an eye
patch for a while,
due to severe corneal damage.
We are gonna find
out who did this.
I already know who did it.
[deep inhale and exhale]
And I know why she did it.
[groaning in pain]
I spoke to the nurse.
She's gonna have
your pain medication
at the top of the hour.
[wincing]
Hey...
Sweetheart, we're gonna
get through this. Okay?
[whines]
I don't care what
that doctor says.
What about what the...
the police think, huh?
I keep tellin' ya, I...
I got no connection to this
Anne-Marie or her sister.
Honey, honey,
I did not have an affair with
this awful person who shot you.
Or anyone, for that matter.
On our kids' lives, I swear.
[angered breathing]
What? Come on, come on.
Okay, okay, okay.
[Mary Jo]: It hurts.
[detective]: Only a few more
questions, Mrs. Buttafuoco.
Anything to help find
who did this to Mary Jo.
According to your wife, the
young lady with the gun
said that you and her little
sister were having an affair.
[Joey sighs]
Uh...
No, I got no knowledge
of that sorta thing.
- We gotta ask.
- The shirt.
[Joey]: You know how many shirts
we give away in a year?
It was one of the new
golf shirts. Yeah.
Those are still in boxes.
Sh-sh... she said you gave it
to her little sister
it's how she
was trying to prove that
what she said was true.
[laughs incredulously]
Wasn't.
It isn't.
I don't know. Maybe someone
stole the shirt?
Maybe another employee of the
autobody shop had access to 'em?
You know, on second thought,
there actually was a customer
I-I gave one of those shirts
to as a preview.
A male customer.
Elliot Fisher.
And he's the only one you
gave a golf shirt to?
Maybe this Elliot Fisher has,
has daughters,
or nieces, or somethin'.
[knock on door]
[detective]: We got somethin'.
[Joey]: 'Bout time.
That's her. Yeah, that's
that's the girl that shot me.
Th-that's Anne-Marie.
Amy. Amy Fisher.
The daughter of your
customer, Elliot Fisher.
Wow. So, he got kids, huh?
[detective]: One daughter.
We just needed
your confirmation.
Now we can lure her in.
How you gonna do that?
[tape recorder clicks on]
Stick to the script.
Nothin' more, nothin' less.
Yeah, yeah, got it.
[call ringing]
[phone rings]
Hello?
Hey, is this Amy Fisher?
This is Joey Buttafuoco
from the autobody shop.
Joey, how come you're...
[Joey]: You know what? It's
better we talk in person.
Yeah. Uh...
Can you meet right now?
[Amy]: Just uh, tell me where
you're at. Okay.
Be right there.
[siren whooping]
Stay calm. Could be just
a, uh, traffic ticket.
[officer]: Step out of
the vehicle
and place both hands
on your head.
[reporter]: Amy! Amy!
Did you do it?
If you didn't, who did? Amy!
[reporter 2]: Amy! Miss Fisher!
Talk to us, Miss Fisher.
It'll take two minutes.
Amy! Amy!
Amy Fisher, dubbed "The Long
Island Lolita"
since it's rumored
she was having an illicit affair
with the victim's husband,
is now the prime
suspect in the shooting
of Mary Jo Buttafuoco.
It should be noted that Miss
Fisher is only 17 years old,
leaving many to wonder just how
responsible
someone this young could be,
for the circumstances
she finds herself in.
The media portrayed Amy Fisher
as this sweet 17-year-old
who'd been taken advantage of.
Who didn't know
what she was doing.
I understand the complexity now,
that someone can be both
victim and perpetrator.
But I was there
on that front porch
the day she shot me,
and Amy Fisher knew what
she was doing before,
during, and after.
[Joey]: All right, I got this.
[reporters]: Ms. Buttafuoco!
Ms. Buttafuoco!
Hey, what're you doin'?
Back off! Clear a path. Come on!
Hey, I got ya. I got ya.
[Mary Jo]: What, these people
don't have anything
better to do, huh?
[Joey]: I keep tellin' ya,
sweetheart, we're famous.
I don't wanna be famous.
I want my kids.
Mom!
[Mary Jo]: Hi! Oh, my God.
[Paul]: Mom!
[Mary Jo]: Oh, hey,
c'mere, c'mere.
Careful, Paul and Jessie,
your mother's still hurt.
[Mary Jo]: Don't listen to
your father.
[Paul]: I love you.
[Mary Jo]: I love you too.
I never want you to let go.
I love you too, baby.
[reporter]: Who do you believe,
Mary Jo,
your husband or Amy Fisher?
[breathing sternly]
[Mary Jo]: I was so beaten up,
so dependent on Joey
financially.
I didn't want to break up
our family.
The kids were young.
I was worried what people
would say.
What my Irish
Catholic mother would think
if I questioned Joey's
and my wedding vows.
Joey was all I knew.
All I thought I had.
And he seemed so sincere.
It wasn't so much that
I was ignorant,
it's that Joey was
that good at being dishonest.
The realization that my life
would never be the same,
that I might never
be able to smile again,
was something I didn't know if
I could ever come to terms with.
[sombre music]
Jess?
Sweetie, you awake, huh?
Hmm?
Hi.
Can I see this?
You are the sweetest girl.
Thank you.
I keep telling you,
it was an accident.
That's all you gotta
say for yourself?
I was confused on account of
Joey's so much older than me,
and I really didn't know
what I was doing.
You gotta believe me. The gun
went off by itself. I swear!
[Mary Jo]: The physical evidence
told a different story.
Detectives had the theory
that the gun Amy used
had its slide pulled back
before it was fired,
which showed she came to my home
with the intent to shoot me.
That was hard to accept.
All I wanted was for my life
to return to normal,
and that meant
putting faith in my family.
I'm not sure this
is the best idea, Joey,
you know? I mean...
Feels like...
It feels like it's too soon.
[clapping and cheers]
What'd I tell ya?
Everyone loves ya.
Same as us.
Especially me.
All right, let's go find
a nice cabana for your mother.
Come on.
Does it hurt?
'Scuse me?
Where the bullet
went in and out.
You wanna know a secret?
It's still in my head, yeah?
In my jaw.
Can we see?
Sure ya can.
If you had X-ray vision
like Superman,
you'd be able
to see right there.
Wow!
Mm-hmm.
Mrs. Buttafuoco,
you're the coolest lady, ever!
He's right, you know.
You're definitely
the coolest lady ever.
[Mary Jo]: Joey was a
fabulous liar and manipulator.
But he wasn't the only one still
hiding the truth
of what really happened.
I'm glad we came.
[kids chattering]
[cups thud loudly on table]
So?
Anything change?
You can ask me
the same questions over and over
all you want.
My story's never gonna change.
None of this is my fault.
I got caught up in
other people's troubles, is all.
Their manipulations.
I was used!
A Mr. Steven Sleeman
and a Mr. Peter Guagenti
tell a very different story
from the one you've shared,
Miss Fisher.
They tell one of helping you
try to kil Mary Jo Buttafuoco
last November.
And when that plan
didn't work out
the other says that
he sold you a gun
and drove you to
the Buttafuoco residence
so that you could
do it yourself.
We're not gonna comment
on what sounds like hearsay,
at best.
Holding back information
isn't gonna do you any favors.
We're aware of our rights.
According to sources,
the only person
who doesn't suspect
Joey Buttafuoco had an affair
with the accused assailant
is his wife,
the gunshot victim,
Mary Jo Buttafuoco.
[door creaks open]
[Joey]: Come bearing gifts.
[scoffs in disgust]
Apple sauce and cottage cheese?
At least you don't
have to eat through a straw.
Yeah.
All right.
[Mary Jo]: Yuck.
I hear the news on here again?
Hmm?
How many times I gotta tell you
that stuff's no good for ya.
Can I help it if
we're all that's on TV?
And if I wanted to be famous
or infamous?
You know who really
doesn't mind being famous?
It's that girl.
Who...
Who?
What?
You go ahead, say it.
You don't believe I never
slept with Amy Fisher, do ya?
[Mary Jo]: Looking back, I
can see the cracks forming
all around me.
If only I'd been ready
to admit it to myself
at the time.
It's not that
I don't believe you, Joey.
I just wish that these...
These idiots on TV did.
You know I'm...
The things that these reporters,
these newscasters are saying
about us.
About our marriage?
We've gotta make sure
Paul and Jessie
never see this stuff.
Amy Fisher is
a very confused young girl.
Sure, I remember her
being in the shop a lot.
Her dad let her charge repairs
to his account.
She was a really bad driver,
always getting in
all these accidents.
[snorting laugh]
Anything she says about me?
Bald-faced lie.
That's all there is to it.
Besides, something I want to
talk to you about
that's better than TV?
[Mary Jo]: Oh, yeah?
What's that?
Movies.
[Mary Jo]: "Dear Mr.
And Mrs. Buttafuoco",
"if you'll kindly grant us
your valuable time
"for a meeting,
we'd like to explain
"how telling your story
cinematically,
"can bring something good
outta something that's been"
"truly awful for you."
[somber music]
[Joey] Give me a kiss.
[Mary Jo]: Hollywood came
calling sooner than the police
could wrap up the case.
Everyone wanted in
on the action.
They were making three movies
at the same time.
I couldn't believe it.
But everyone around me
thought it was so exciting.
"Oh, Mary Jo's on TV.
Joey's consulting on a movie."
I thought to myself,
if this was happening
to my best friend,
it would be exciting.
So, I went along with it.
[Mary Jo]: Even though
we were on the set
for one of the movies,
I was still in total denial
of the absurdity of it all.
Not to mention barely
functional because of all
the drugs I was on for pain.
[director]: And action.
You're gonna wanna hear
what I have to say.
[Movie Mary Jo]: I need to
get back to my painting.
[Movie Amy]: He's lying to you.
It's not how it happened.
Nah, it's Hollywood, babe.
Just be glad that one of these
movies is finally telling
my side of the sto...
Our side of the story.
Hmm.
[piercing ringing]
You okay?
Someone call 911!
Mary Jo.
Mary Jo, you okay?
Come on.
Dr. Forrest, dial 118, please.
[PA speaker]: Dr. Forrest,
please dial 118.
Joey?
[painful breathing]
[Nurse]: You should be resting,
Mary Jo.
Hmm?
You don't mind me
calling you that, do you?
No, of course not.
So, um
you feeling well enough
for me to ask a small favor?
Can I get an autograph?
I figure if I get yours
and Joey's,
then all I need is Amy Fisher's.
Although I am
very much Team Mary Jo.
[Mary Jo]: I never wanted
to be recognized in public.
I was happy being a wife, a mom.
I loved my life.
All I wanted was
to be there for my children.
Those three movies did nothing
to help my anonymity.
Pfft. At this point
in my life,
I've seen myself shot
in the head on TV
more than 300 times.
Everything became about
Joey and Amy.
Me and my kids
got lost in the shuffle.
And things just
kept getting worse.
Was Joey Buttafuoco
the one who told you
to shoot Mary Jo, Amy?
Whose idea was it
to kill Mrs. Buttafuoco?
If you're innocent,
we wanna hear from you, Amy.
You can talk to us.
[hard knocking]
[laughter]
[laughter]
What's so funny?
This show really cracks me up.
Come on.
Watch some TV with us.
Take a load off.
No, I'm okay.
[Mary Jo]: A lot of
the comedy shows back then
thought it was funny
to do sketches,
making fun of what happened,
what I was going through,
me being paralyzed
on one side of my face.
You know who didn't
find any of that funny?
Me.
I can't even watch
those comedy shows right now.
And like not knowing when
they're gonna
make fun of us again.
When did I...
Did we become the
punchline?
Our lawyer's looking in
and see when the shows
that are doing that.
'Cause because I got shot
in the face?
'Cause I believe you?
The man I promised to love
'til death do us part, you know.
What you and I got
is rock solid.
No one needs to understand that
except for you, me,
and the kids.
[Mary Jo]: Looking back, I
can see I had all the symptoms
of Stockholm Syndrome.
I still didn't think Joey
had been having an affair
with the person
who did this to me.
Life was too foggy
because of the multiple
pain medications I was on.
When I was in 6th grade,
I had a concussion
after a bad fall
and couldn't remember anything
for a short period.
Catholic school left me back
a grade.
Everyone called me immature,
the left-back baby.
Kids told me I was stupid.
Then later in life,
this all happens,
and now I'm stupid again
because I'm not leaving Joey.
Because I believed the man
I swore to stay with,
for better or for worse.
These interrogations are
bordering on harassment.
My client remains
a frightened young girl,
a victim of everyone
who's trying to take
inappropriate advantage of her.
We're just trying to do
our best to piece together
the facts as they're revealed
to us,
for everyone's best interest,
including Miss Fisher's.
If you've got something
you haven't disclosed,
that alone could
be grounds for...
All we're asking for is
a little clarification
on all the stuff
about Miss Fisher
being reported on TV night
after night.
Tabloid fodder, none of
which has been substantiated.
Just some people trying
to make a quick buck off
all the publicity
surrounding my client.
Coming, Cap.
Hey, don't worry.
We're still gonna get 'em
to agree to a plea deal.
[Amy sniffles]
[door closing]
[phone ringing]
[Mary Jo]: Hello?
[lawyer]: I just wanted
to let you know
that Amy Fisher's grand jury
testimony has been
temporarily postponed.
What?
Yeah, apparently she's been
hit hard by a news story
airing last night with a video
of her admitting to
her boyfriend that she's keeping
her name in the press
to make a lot of money
and get a super high-end car.
Really.
Mm-hmm.
So, they said that
she'll be there for at least
a week for psychiatric
examination and observation.
Look, it's not like
I want her to...
You know?
I'll be in touch when
we have more information.
Okay. Thank you.
[lawyer]: Take care of yourself,
Mary Jo.
[slams down phone]
Everything good?
Nothing's been good
since May, Joey.
Or have you not
been paying attention?
Babe, I...
Amy's in the hospital
for psychiatric examination.
[exhales]
- Yeah, yeah, I mean,
I keep telling you
how messed up she is.
What about me, Joey?
Do you understand how long
I have been waiting to finally
see the person who shot me
testify to a grand jury
so she will finally
face charges?
I do.
[Mary Jo]: No.
[sighs]
This is never gonna end,
is it?
Will today be the final chapter
in the lengthy saga
of the Long Island Lolita?
Inside this courthouse,
Amy Fisher will at long last
come face to face
with her victim.
It will be the first time
the two have seen each other
since May 19th, 1992,
when Amy Fisher allegedly
visited a tranquil
Massapequa home and put a bullet
in Mary Jo Buttafuoco's head.
[courtroom murmurs]
Let's try to keep this matter
as efficient as we can
since the defendant has already
agreed to plead guilty
to the shooting in arrangement
for her plea deal.
[courtroom murmurs]
[gavel bangs]
The defendant has a statement
she wishes to enter?
Uh, yes, Your Honor.
[Mary Jo]: Seeing Amy
Fisher in person for the first time
since the shooting was surreal.
The girl who tried to kill me
in the same room.
But I held my head high.
I knew who I was.
I had my integrity,
and I wasn't trading it
for anything.
Sometimes I think this
was a nightmare,
and it didn't really happen,
and then I realize that it did.
I went up to the doorstep
with a loaded gun in my pocket.
I spoke with Mrs. Buttafuoco
outside her Massapequa home
for 15 minutes until
Mrs. Buttafuoco turned
to go back inside.
I hit her on the back
of the head.
I hit her again.
The gun went off.
I tried to get her off of me,
and I hit her, I think, twice.
And then I left.
I ran away.
These, Your Honor, are all true.
They are all facts.
And I cannot and will not
take them back
for the sake of harmony.
And now I believe we'll hear
from Amy Fisher's victim.
[courtroom murmurs]
[bangs gavel]
[judge]: Make no mistake,
this courtroom will not devolve
into the media frenzy
that has surrounded
these goings-on
for the last year and a half.
Mrs. Buttafuoco.
My two beautiful children
are having a difficult time
leaving me alone.
They are afraid I might not
be there when they get home
from school.
They have been
severely traumatized
by this event.
And this, to me,
is the greatest tragedy of all.
All this damage by someone
who still shows absolutely
no remorse for her actions.
The bullet is still lodged
in the base of my brain
and causes me constant pain
and suffering.
The future holds
numerous operations,
and if there is any
unnatural movement
of the bullet,
I am faced with paralysis,
and perhaps, even death.
[judge]: I understand you have
a letter written
by your daughter, Jessica,
that you'd like to read?
"Thank you for putting
Amy Fisher in jail.
"She has done so many bad things
to my family and I.
"Please make Amy Fisher stay
in jail for a very long time
"so she can't hurt my mom again."
"My daddy,"
"brother Paul,
and I love her very much."
[sniffles]
So far, the seductive teenager
has stuck to her story,
that she had a steamy romance
with the Mary Jo Buttafuoco's
husband, Joey Buttafuoco,
who isn't in
the courtroom today.
At an earlier news conference,
he once again claimed
he never had sex
with the accused.
I have a brief statement.
Amy Fisher is a liar
and has zero credibility.
She knows that.
I know she's a liar.
I know she has no credibility.
That's all I'm gonna say.
You are a tragedy
and disgrace to yourself,
to your family,
to your friends, and to society.
And you deserve no less
than the maximum sentence
I can impose by law.
For many months, You had stalked
Mary Jo Buttafuoco
like a wild animal
stalks its prey.
Motivated by lust and passion,
you were a walking stick
of dynamite with the fuse lit.
Amy Fisher
you are sentenced
to 5 to 15 years in prison.
[courtroom murmurs]
Do you have anything you wish
to say to the court?
Or to Mrs. Buttafuoco?
If I could change everything,
I would.
If I could put my hand
over her face
and make it go away, I would.
I don't wanna be
the Amy Fisher
that stands here today.
I wanna be the Amy Fisher
I was before I met Joe Butafuoco
in November of 1990.
[gavel bangs]
[reporter]: Do you still believe
your husband didn't sleep
with Amy Fisher?
Do you feel sorry
for her at all?
You don't need
to talk to them, okay?
Amy Fisher is a liar,
not to mention
an attempted murderer.
Right?
And the DA is taking
her word over Joey's.
I am not gonna let this
one person destroy our lives.
There you have it.
[grumbles]
You're Mary Jo Buttafuoco,
right?
You've been through so much.
I am a big fan.
Thank you.
I am so embarrassed.
Sorry.
No, it's okay.
Have a nice day, all right?
[woman]: Is it true
what they're saying?
That Amy Fisher can describe,
you know, Joey's privates?
[Mary Jo]: I developed
this weird ability to ignore
what anyone was saying.
I still believed Joey.
I was in pain,
mental and physical,
and on way too many drugs
to know the difference.
Not to mention being raised
Catholic in the 60s
absolutely shaped my view
of what was right and wrong.
Catholics don't get divorced.
One time when Joey and I
temporarily separated,
my mother said,
"This is what happens when"
"you don't have Jesus
in your life."
That was her answer
to everything
I was going through.
Everyone close to us
still believed Joey,
even when one
of his former employees
told a talk show Joey
had admitted to sleeping
with Amy Fisher.
And the DA filed charges
because of it.
[Joey] I keep telling ya,
that former employee is
just trying to stir up trouble.
None of what he says
on TV is true.
You want me to go to trial
to get sentenced for something
I never did?
Six counts of statutory rape,
12 counts of sodomy,
one count of endangering
the welfare of a child?
If you never did any of it
why did
the grand jury indict you?
And why would gonna trial
be a problem, Joey?
Our lawyer says
taking the plea deal
is the safe bet.
Even though you and me,
we both know I never did
what that girl said.
[footsteps stomp away]
[slams cup on table]
Hey, no, no,
none of that's true.
Don't get yourself worked up.
When is this all gonna be
done?
I could save my face,
or I could save my butt
and be here with you
and the kids where I belong.
[ring taps twice on table]
This is the last of it,
all right?
The last of this
awful nightmare.
I take the plea,
and then we can finally move on
and get the happy ever after
that you, me,
and the kids deserve.
[Mary Jo]: This was
yet another wake-up call,
but I wasn't ready to wake up.
Instead, I numbed myself
with pills,
believed harder,
held on even tighter,
to a version of Joey
that didn't really exist.
[Amy] When this
relationship began,
I was not just
a 16-year-old teenager
taken to bed by a man
over twice my age,
I was a 16-year-old teenager
shown a world that
I was not ready for,
a world of elaborate spending
and fast boats.
This man took me
to expensive restaurants
and cheap motels.
I hope whatever sentence
you might impose today
will send a message
to other teenagers
who might be tempted
by men like Mr. Buttafuoco.
I know with all my heart
that if Mr. Buttafuoco
had permitted me to cross
the bridge between adolescence
and adulthood unmolested,
I would not be where I am today.
[sniffs]
Thank you.
[footsteps stomping]
[judge]: I cannot accept
your plea unless, in fact,
you are guilty.
Please, tell me.
On July 2nd, 1991,
I had sexual relations
with Amy Fisher at a motel.
[courtroom murmurs]
[gavel bangs]
There is a family
involved here.
Joseph, Mary Jo's father,
in-laws, children.
That's the kind of man Joey is.
He did all he could do
in that courtroom
so that everybody else's life
could go free.
[reporter]: Joey,
why didn't Mary Jo
accompany you here today?
Well, last night, Mary Jo
had a rough night.
Her true pain
is for her children.
That's all we're saying.
[Jessica]: These are for
the walls in your cell, Daddy.
It's not a cell, baby.
It's a room.
So you don't forget about us.
These are great, Jess.
How about you, Champ?
You doing all right?
[Paul]: I don't know.
This isn't right, Joey.
Bringing the kids here
to visit you of all places, huh?
You know, the lawyer says
I'll get off early.
Four months instead of six,
then it'll be like
none of this ever happened.
Yeah, maybe not
for the both of us, huh?
[laughs]
You wait and see, Mary Jo.
I'm gonna prove it to you.
Everything gets better
from this moment.
Look what our daughter
drew for me.
Huh?
Pretty good.
Is that me in the orange?
Come on.
[Mary Jo]: After
the statutory rape conviction,
when Joey got out of jail,
the neighborhood threw
a huge party.
Joey came home
a triumphant hero.
Nothing he did or was accused of
changed the opinions
of those closest to him.
Not our friends, not our family,
not me,
not yet.
[phone ringing]
Hello?
[Joey]: Don't be upset.
What am I not supposed
to be upset about, Joey?
It's the middle
of the night here.
All right.
I, uh...
I was arrested for
solicitation here in L.A.
What?
You swore you were gonna
stay out of trouble
while you were
on the West Coast.
It was a total setup.
I-I'm innocent.
You forget that
you're on parole?
Hmm?
- No, I talked to the lawyer.
He's... He's gonna
clear it all up.
Yeah, and what about
the next time, Joey?
Huh?
Everything's just gonna
get cleared up for you again?
'Cause everything's
about you, right?
You know, all the news
just makes everything about Amy.
And at the end of the day,
nobody cares about the woman
walking around with a bullet
permanently stuck in her jaw.
Sweetheart, we're gonna
clear this up, okay?
[sniffles then grumbles]
[slams down receiver]
[Mary Jo]: With Joey,
it always wasn't him.
It didn't happen this way.
He didn't give her the money,
whatever.
It was the same crap
I heard over and over again.
I needed the pills to function.
I wasn't getting high.
I was avoiding incredible pain.
Physical, and I now realize,
mental.
The pills dulled my mind
and my instincts.
I relied on drugs
for seven long years.
But eventually, even they
couldn't numb the depths
of what I was feeling.
After Joey's arrest in L.A.,
I went into a spiral
of depression.
At this point,
I just wanted to be dead.
[drawer rasps open]
[pills rattling]
[Mary Jo]: I didn't
know where else to turn,
what else to do.
[Jessica]: Mom?
It's been like three days
you've been in here.
[pill bottles clatter]
[Jessica]: Mommy?
Jess?
You scared me.
[exhales]
I'm sorry, honey. I just...
I haven't felt like doing much
the past few days with sleep,
you know?
All me and Paul
want is to see you happy.
Hey, I know that, sweetheart,
but
the paralysis
from the bullet is permanent.
One half of my face
is never gonna work right.
Hey, but that doesn't mean
I don't love you and Paul
with all my heart, okay?
[worried exhale]
Oh, thank you.
You're too good to me.
Come here.
I love you.
[Mary Jo]: It was the
lowest point in my life,
and I gave up fighting.
Nothing was getting better.
I was so torn up on the inside,
so depleted,
I actually researched
carbon monoxide poisoning.
That's how low I sunk.
I didn't think there was
any way out for me
or my kids.
Thank God I finally realized
I wasn't thinking
with a clear mind.
[pill bottles thump
in waste basket]
I finally decided
if the bullet still lodged
in my head hadn't done me in,
then I was gonna have to
somehow find a way to go on.
[lawyer] Let's make sure.
[Mary Jo]: We're
sure about this?
[lawyer]: Mm-hmm.
[Mary Jo]: This is
the best idea?
[lawyer]: Yeah, well, I wouldn't
be footing the bill if I didn't.
You remind me that
there's still good in the world.
You know that?
I could say the same
to you, Mary Jo.
Look, we both know that pills
aren't the answer,
not ultimately.
But it's time
you treated yourself
after all this mental pain
you've been suffering through.
Thank you.
[sobbing and groaning in pain]
[Mary Jo]: Hey! Hey!
Oh, you gotta help me,
all right?
You gotta at least give me
my, my prescription, okay?
Please!
[heavy breathing]
Please!
Mary Jo, it can get better
from this moment
if you decide to make this
your rock bottom.
[sobbing]
[melancholic music]
[shivering breaths]
[nurse]: You can do this.
[Mary Jo]: Yeah.
[nurse]: I'll get you
some water.
[shivering breaths]
Thank you for sharing.
And what about shame?
Oh, definitely me.
Sorry, did you,
did you say fame or shame?
[chuckling]
I don't really know
what's worse.
The fact that I...
I never wanted to be famous
or the fact that I...
I really loved being
a mom and a wife.
And I know that that's not
popular to say nowadays,
but it's true.
I loved it.
I never wanted to be
recognized in public,
least of all for
having a life-altering injury.
You know, for people
thinking that I'm, I'm an idiot
for desperately trying to honor
my wedding vows, you know?
I never wanted any of this.
Not for me and, and...
Especially not for my,
for my kids, you know?
From what you shared,
I'm not sure that was
a choice you made for them.
Music
Woo!
[Mary Jo]: Jessie, Paul,
c'mere, c'mere, c'mere!
We missed you so much.
[Mary Jo]: Oh, my God,
I missed you so much.
Thank you for your letters
and your drawings.
Where's your father?
He-he couldn't make it.
Don't worry about it.
Forget I said anything.
I'm just so happy you're here.
You look great!
Kinda happy!
Just kinda?
From now on,
we're gonna be really happy.
You know, my time in here
did me a lot of good.
I can finally let go,
move on, got my power back.
That means I got to forgive.
- Forgive?
- Forgive who?
Go ahead, Miss Fisher.
I'd like to say
something to Mary Jo.
What happened to you
wasn't your husband's fault,
wasn't your fault,
wasn't my father's fault,
and wasn't anybody else's fault.
It was my fault.
And I have spent
the last seven years
trying to figure it out.
It was my fault, and I'm sorry.
[melancholic music]
[heavy footsteps]
[judge]: Mrs. Buttafuoco?
Amy Fisher has shown
great remorse and sorrow
for what she did to me.
You're being given
a second chance in life,
and I pray that you take it
and make something good out
of something tragic.
I'm sorry.
I'm truly very sorry.
People always ask,
why did I forgive the person
who tried to kill me?
It wasn't for Amy Fisher's sake,
I promise you.
It was for me.
Back then, I still had
a lot to figure out.
About Joey, about myself.
But I knew this much,
I wasn't gonna let
hate define me.
Not anymore.
Your Honor,
given that my client
now accepts full responsibility
for the terrible act
of seven years ago,
and in light of her testimony,
we are urging you to
grant Ms. Fisher parole.
[Mary Jo]: When I finally came
to my senses and told my mother
I was leaving Joey,
she didn't speak to me
for four months.
I was wrong, he was right.
I was the bad Catholic.
That's the stronghold Joey
still had on everyone
who knew him.
One day I just looked
at that picture of our family,
covered Joey's face
with my thumb,
and realized me and the kids
were better off without him.
I know you might be wondering
if there was some big moment
that caused me to
finally leave Joey?
Some dramatic confrontation
or giant revelation.
But it wasn't like that.
It was more like death
by a thousand cuts.
It took years and years
before I realized
Joey was never gonna change.
And it was time for me
to reclaim my power, my life.
I was finally done
with him, once and for all.
Today, our son Paul has
a limited relationship with him.
Jessie and I don't speak
to him at all.
And yes, people still ask me
about Amy Fisher.
Needless to say,
we aren't in touch.
The gun went off by accident.
[Mary Jo]: Her version of events
has changed over the years
since she shot me.
It was Joey who told me
to go up to the door,
point the gun, and keep firing.
[Mary Jo]: Her truths aren't
necessarily mine.
I took the plea deal
on account I'd get parole
three years after
I went to jail.
Amy Fisher's story
is hers to tell.
Mine is about survival.
About refusing to let
what she did
define the rest of my life.
Me and my kids are still here.
We're still standing.
We're still smiling.
That's our victory.
And would you believe
I even got married again?
Stu Tendler and his children
were a wonderful gift,
each of them showing Paul,
Jessie, and me what it meant
to be part of a family
that loved and was committed
to one another.
Even though the marriage
didn't last,
Stu reminded me of my worth.
And that led to yet
another surgery that
was completely unexpected.
You really think I'm gonna
be able to smile again,
Dr. Azizzadeh?
I've been dealing
with this frozen look
for so long, it feels like I've,
you know, kinda given up hope.
[Dr. Azizzadeh]: There's
certain muscles
keeping your paralysis
from improving.
What I'm talking about
is rewiring your nerves.
My mom doesn't think
of herself as pretty
or beautiful,
when the complete
opposite's true.
I mean, she's the most
beautiful person I know.
The surgery will be intense.
I'd be using a nerve stimulator
to identify which
microscopic nerves are working
and which are misfiring.
Well, Mary Jo, what do you say?
[Mary Jo]: My smile was there
all along, mind you.
Just hidden.
But it was always
under the surface.
Thanks to Jessie and Paul, who,
through everything,
always gave me a reason
to be happy.
Now Dr. Azizzadeh was
offering me a chance
to show my smile
to the world again.
[Jessica]: Mom, how are you?
So can you smile now or what?
Hmm...
I don't know.
Try-try tellin' me a joke.
Dad.
[chuckling]
[Jessica]: Mom?
Doctor said it's gonna
get even better.
[Paul]: You're amazing.
[Mary Jo]: To this day,
Joey doesn't accept
any responsibility
for the lives he wrecked.
He never apologized
to Paul or Jessie.
He couldn't even admit
to me in person that
he really did sleep
with Amy Fisher.
Speaking of causes
for celebration,
May 15th is around the corner.
Must we celebrate
when you're getting older?
Duh! That's kinda what people
do on their birthdays, Mom.
Yeah, I think I'd rather
celebrate shooting day
on May 19th.
[laughs]
Oh, my gosh. That's genius.
The three of us celebrating
everything we survived
on the actual date everything
about our lives changed.
Yeah, I wasn't certain
I was being serious about that.
[Paul]: Shooting day. I'm in.
We're gonna take back that
date that's always brought us
shame and fear.
And we're gonna make it our own.
Who are you callin'?
I'm making restaurant
reservations at our favorite
Italian place for May 19th.
Mom, you're a genius.
So, that's what we do now.
Every May 19th, Paul, Jessie,
and I get together
and celebrate "Survival Day"
because it's our day
and no one else's.
We're finally through
being a spectacle
and done with letting that
date pull us back into
the misery of what
was in the past.
I am Mary Jo Buttafuoco.
I'm alive, I'm grateful,
I'm at peace,
and I'm smiling.
[pensive music]
what kinda game you're playin'
but I'm not interested!
[Amy]: No, you really need
to hear what I've gotta say.
[Mary Jo]: I told you I'd tell
Joey you stopped by.
That good enough for you?
- No.
[gunshot cracks]
[Mary Jo]: Everyone saw Amy
Fisher as a victim.
A teenaged girl seduced
by an older man.
And in some ways she was.
But that's not the whole truth.
Amy Fisher made choices,
devastating choices, that
nearly cost me my life.
I am Mary Jo Buttafuoco
and this is the first
time you're hearing
the story directly from me.
A story a lot of people
think they know, but don't.
Not all of it. Not everything.
[Man]: Thank you for coming in,
Mary Jo.
Do you mind if I call
you Mary Jo?
[Mary Jo]: Sure.
[Man]: You know, you do not look
like someone
who was uh, shot in the face.
Well, it was over 30
years ago.
It's been a long journey
and the surgeries,
but here I am, still intact.
Here you are.
You know, and that's why I
think now is the time
that we make a documentary
about what you
and Amy Fisher suffered through.
[chuckling]: Excuse me.
The other victim.
I think reuniting you two would
be what I would call undeniable.
Just to make sure
that I'm following.
[Man]: Mm-hmm.
I get shot in the head,
which causes me to go through
decades of living hell.
Me, and my kids.
And you think that Amy Fisher,
the person who shot me,
is the other victim?
Right?
That bullet's still
lodged in my skull.
A permanent reminder of
that day.
Thanks to what happened,
my beautiful, innocent children
and I learned what it
was like to be watched publicly,
long before the Kardashians.
Amy and Joey both made choices
that changed all of
our lives forever.
[reporters]: Joey! Joey! Joey!
[Joey]: Look, I never had
nothin' to do with Amy Fisher.
[Amy]: Joey Buttafuoco took
advantage of my innocence.
I did not sleep
with that girl!
The gun went off by accident.
You'd think, after all
this time,
my story's been fully told,
but it hasn't.
And I'll start by answering
the question
on most people's minds:
Why did I believe Joey
didn't sleep
with Amy Fisher for so long,
after I was shot?
Or should I have realized
what kind of man Joey was
before any of this happened?
The answers are clearer now,
but they weren't back then.
Not when this all started.
Not on day one.
[students chattering]
[Joey]: Think I'm sitting here.
What, are you shy?
[Mary Jo]: My mother told me not
to talk to strangers, is all.
I'm Joey. Joey Buttafuoco.
You are?
Mary Jo. Mary Jo Connery.
So, uh Mary Jo,
you believe in density?
[half-laughs]
- You mean destiny?
No, no, no, I'm talkin'
'bout the teacher.
Don't be mean.
Who's being mean?
Look at all the framed degrees
and diplomas behind her desk.
I'm talkin' about density, like
in the context
of describing
the volume of something.
But hey, seeing as you
brought up destiny.
[tender music playing]
[guests clapping]
[guest]: Hey, hey, hey!
[Joey]: Hey!
I'm the luckiest
guy in the world.
[Mary Jo]: Hmm, not gonna argue
with you.
Oh, you better not,
Mrs. Buttafuoco.
'Cause with
our autobody business,
I'm gonna make sure we get
whatever we want
and whatever we need,
for the rest of our lives.
I can't believe we were able
to save up for and buy a house
on top of planning this wedding!
Stick with me, babe.
You're not gonna have
a bad day from here on out.
Have you been drinking?
It's a celebration, isn't it?
Well, yeah. Whatcha got?
Shh! Come on.
[Mary Jo]: Okay.
Take a sip. That's the spirit.
Oof!
Come on get back to dancing!
[giggles]
You think it's always gonna
be like this.
You and me, on cloud nine.
What could ever stop that?
[laughs happily]
[Mary Jo]: Only, life moved on
a little faster
than either of us expected.
I'm pregnant.
[chuckles]
[Joey]: For real?
Uh... I mean, wasn't this
always the plan?
Get married,
buy a house, have kids?
[Joey]: Yeah...
[Mary Jo]: Yeah.
[Joey]: But uh, are we even done
being kids yet ourselves?
[Mary Jo]: I mean...
[Joey]: Life was just starting
to get good.
[Mary Jo]: Look...
[Joey sighs]
I-I can double check
with my doctor.
I mean, but these tests are
supposed to be pretty accurate.
Plus I'm late, which is why
I did the test
in the first place, you know?
[gentle music]
You know what?
This is great.
This is really, really great.
[Mary Jo]: You mean it?
[Joey]: You can always count
on me. You know that.
No matter what.
And that goes for our kids, too.
I'd never do anything
to hurt ya.
[squeals]
[Mary Jo]: Joey was my first
serious relationship,
my only sexual partner.
I was an Irish Catholic girl
in the 70s.
This was the man I loved,
I trusted.
I was committed to raising
a family with.
Being Joey's other half
became my identity.
And I was sure he loved me
just as much,
even though there were times
he definitely tested my limits.
[siren whooping]
Joey, they just pulled
up behind us.
You weren't speeding, were you?
How should I know?
All right, just say
you're goin' into labor,
so I had to drive
a little faster.
Joey, no, I'm not doin' that.
[Joey]: Just trust me on this,
Mary Jo. Come on!
Don't I always
know what I'm doin'?
[sighs]
[exhales]
What's the problem?
You could a gotten
a ticket, Joey.
Key word, could've.
But I didn't. All 'cause
of my brilliant idea.
[Joey]: Yeah, yeah.
[singing]: Joy to the world...
Ah, stick with me, babe.
I can get away with anything.
[Mary Jo]: I think Joey really
believed that,
which explains why his
behavior got even worse
after I gave birth
to our son, Paul.
[baby crying]
But the time our daughter
Jessie came along,
I was having more and
more trouble keeping track
of Joey and what he was up to.
[gasping]: Ooh, what's that?
It's okay. Yeah.
It's almost time
to take little Jessica back
to the nursery,
Mrs. Buttafuoco.
[Mary Jo]: Oh, I'm waitin'
on my husband.
Uh, he went home to
get our son Paul
so he could bring him here and
meet his little sister.
[nurse]: Visiting hours ended
over 30 minutes ago.
Really?
Promised he was comin' right
back. Didn't he?
Yeah, he did.
Yeah. It's okay, though.
I got you.
I was really excited to be
a good mom and wife.
I knew it was the right thing
to give up the partying.
But Joey, he sorta stayed
a perpetual teenager.
But that's what everyone
loved about him.
My mother considered him a son.
My baby sister Eileen thought of
him as an older brother.
Anytime I tried to share
behavior I was troubled by,
everyone assured me
that's just Joey.
All they saw was his sweetness.
Not that he was usually
trying to make up
for some kind of bad behavior.
Is there a beautiful
woman in here?
[Mary Jo]: For me? Thank you.
Oh, Joey, it's beautiful!
[Joey]: All right, careful.
One big step.
[Mary Jo]: All right. All right.
I trust you. Now we turn?
[Joey]: Ya-dah.
[Mary Jo]: You got me
a sports car?!
[Joey]: A sports car.
[Mary Jo]: Oh!
[Joey]: Mwah! Yeah, I did.
[Mary Jo]: I kept telling myself
he'd eventually get it together
and be the man I thought
I married.
Yeah, honey, I got this.
[Joey]: Babe?
Don't be mad. I didn't mean
to stay out this late.
It's after midnight, Joey.
Remember you promised
you would come home
and help me put the kids to bed?
[Joey]: Things got
a little outta hand.
[Mary Jo]: Did they?
Is it so wrong?
I just wanted
to let off a little steam.
[sighs]
All right, all right,
I messed up.
I...
I think this partyin's
gettin' a little outta hand,
you know? I mean...
[laughs]
No, look, I-I need you
to be a part of this family.
A part that the kids and
I can rely on. You know?
Or, or else, you know...
- Oh. Or else.
[Mary Jo]: Yeah.
Or else what? Hmm?
You can never stay mad
at me, babe.
Hey, I'm not playin'
around, Joey.
I think it's time
you get some help.
Hmm?
Yeah. Help.
Just...
[sighs]
You know, to...
[grunts]
Look just to, just to, just
to control
whatever it is that
makes you...
[explosion noise]
[exhales]
Hmm?
You know you and the kids
mean the world to me.
I'll do anything
to prove that to ya.
Anything?
All right, I will
get some "help".
You will?
[Joey]: Your wish is my command.
I love you, Joey Buttafuoco.
And I love you,
Mary Jo Buttafuoco.
[Mary Jo]: Yeah.
And I'll never stop
provin' that to ya.
Never.
[Mary Jo]: I should have seen
the pattern.
Joey would mess up,
promise to change,
then go right back
to his old ways.
But I loved him. I loved
our kids, our life.
I wanted to believe
him so badly.
[tool rattling]
Yeah, that'll work as
a replacement part.
And I think uh... oh.
Can't be in the work area,
ma'am. It's too dangerous.
I like danger. Makes me hot.
How old are you?
Sixteen. Why, like
what you see?
[embarrassed mutter]
[giggles]
Talkin' 'bout my car.
[Joey]: Looks a little beat
up, to be honest.
[Amy]: Only 'cause I like
to go fast.
And sometimes I get distracted
when I see a cute guy.
You're Elliot
Fisher's daughter.
Oh, guilty.
But don't hold it against me.
My dad has an account here
so he would want you
to take extra special care
of my car.
Would he now?
Mm-hmm.
While I was home taking care
of our kids
and managing our life,
I honestly had no idea
what my husband was really
doing behind my back.
[Amy]: We're not done yet,
are we?
[chuckles] Don't you
ever get tired?
Isn't that what you like
about me?
That I can go longer
and more often than your wife?
All right, all right.
No more of this
pay-per-view stuff, okay?
These one-hour hotel stays
are breakin' my bank.
You'd have a lot more time
and money if you left Mary Jo.
How do you know
my wife's name?
I know your kids' names too,
Paul and Jessica.
What's wrong with that?
You know, I'm 17 now,
which means I'm legal in
the state of New York.
We could get married.
Would you stop?
Undressing you or talking
about getting married?
All of the above.
I-I... I wanna be with
you all the time.
What part of "I'm married"
do you not understand?
[door slams]
[sighs]
This is where I want you
to really pay attention.
I know now that Amy Fisher came
from a troubled background.
That she was struggling with
her own pain.
And I have compassion
for that young girl.
But that doesn't erase
the choices she made next
calculated, deliberate choices.
She was determined to get
what she wanted
and she knew exactly
what she was doing.
[pop music plays on radio]
C'mere.
You're Steven, right?
Yeah.
I'm Amy. I know Lou. He told
me I could find ya here.
[chuckles nervously]
I heard you would do
just about anything to spend a
little time with a girl like me?
He did? I'm...
I mean uh... yeah.
=- As it happens, you are just
the kinda guy I'm lookin' for.
You got a gun, right?
I've been on a few hunting
trips with my uncle.
Got a rifle.
Hmm. Perfect.
'Cause I need you to
kill someone for me.
[swallows hard]
Joey worked hard to provide
for the family.
But I was the one
running the household,
paying the bills, taking care
of every detail of our lives.
Sure, he was a hard worker,
but Joey and my's relationship
was more like mother and son.
I grew up while Joey stayed
a perpetual teenager.
I did a lot of research
on adult men
who showed no signs of maturing.
Peter Pan Syndrome describes
adults
who cling to teenage
habits and attitudes.
Yep, that was Joey, only I
had no idea what to do about it.
Still, never in a million years,
did I think he'd ever
cheat on me and the kids.
[Amy]: Hey.
[Joey]: Thought you were mad at
me for not leaving my wife?
Oh, how could I stay
mad at you, Joey?
[door shuts]
We were meant to be together.
[Joey]: What're you doin'?
Decided you've been
right all along.
Oh yeah?
As long as you're married,
I don't expect you to marry me.
'Course, if that ever changes...
I wanna be the first in line to
be the next Mrs. Buttafuoco.
[tense music]
[birds chirping]
Indistinct chatter
You did good, Steven.
We can use this information
for our next move.
Hello? Now we know when Mary
Jo's all alone in the house.
For?
For when we go there
to shoot her with your gun?
Oh um... right.
You mean my-my r-r-r-rifle?
Mm-hmm.
Um... I mean...
Say it, Steven.
I'm not really sure if I can
actually kill somebody.
I mean, between you and me,
I had a hard time killing
a deer upstate.
Hmm.
[chuckles nervously]
[giggles]
[exhales nervously]
You wanna sleep
with me, don't you?
Then all you've gotta do is
kill that bitch.
Trust me, I'm doing a public
service here.
Mary Jo's an obstacle
that I'm clearin' outta
the way for everyone's sake.
[shaky inhale]
[giggles]
[Steven]: Thanks for treating.
How's it that you come by
so much cash?
I mean, does your boyfriend...
[giggles]
Joey? You can say his name.
Yeah, but you here with me,
isn't that cheating?
Uh, first off, he's cheating
on me with his wife.
Besides, he likes
that I'm so sexual.
It's one of my many qualities.
Cool. So... he just
gives you money?
Actually, I earn it.
Men pay to spend
time with me. You know,
through an escort service?
And Joey's good with that?
Yeah, what'd I just say?
He likes that I'm so comfortable
with my body.
Cool.
So uh, when are you free
to shoot Mary Jo?
The sooner the better.
Gotta make sure I could get
a good aim at her.
You know, for the kill shot.
Don't worry, Steven,
I got a plan.
[knock on door]
Hi. Can I help you?
I'm here to raise money
for my high school.
I think you went there too?
How would you know that?
The uh, principal's office
gave us a list of names
to solicit on account of uh,
he wanted us girls to be safe
when raising money
for the school.
And what are you
sellin' exactly?
[Amy]: Uh, candy bars.
Only got three left, then I'll
meet my goal.
Just, just give me a moment.
What you waitin' for?
[Mary Jo]: Excuse me?
[Amy]: Um... um...
Which one do you want?
You have a nice day.
[Amy]: Yeah, um...
[door shuts]
You too.
This isn't candy for
a school charity.
Is she serious?
[Amy]: What were you waitin'
for, a written invitation?
All you had to do
is take the shot.
You kept on stepping
in front of my aim.
I did not want to shoot you
by mistake.
So instead you didn't end up
shooting anybody.
After I planned
everything perfect.
I tried telling you, I don't
think I could ever kill nobody.
It's "can't kill
anybody" you idiot!
You could forget about me
ever sleepin' with you now.
Sorry.
[scoffs]
Don't be.
I'll find a way to
kill the bitch myself,
if it's the last thing I do.
Amy Fisher became fixated
on Joey.
Looking back, I can see how
he manipulated
that young girl the same way
he manipulated me.
He was that good
at convincing anyone
that they were the
center of his attention.
Everyone loved him.
He was mister fun.
He had everyone fooled.
Especially me.
Your carburetor's filthy.
I gotta take out the whole
thing, clean it up.
I don't wanna let you drive
outta here without,
without me
doin' that, all right?
It's kind of expensive.
It is, yeah.
[chuckles]
[Amy]: Joey, I got good news.
A way we can be together all
the time.
Sir, I'll call you
back, all right?
Out.
[sighs]
- Joey...
Hey, hey. Get it through
that thick skull of yours
once and for all, I'm married.
[huffs]
Not for long, you're not.
[Mary Jo]: Amy Fisher wasn't
about to stop trying.
In her mind, I was the only
thing standing between her
and the life she wanted
with Joey.
And she decided the solution
was to eliminate me.
She was gonna make it happen.
[indistinct chatter]
[Peter]: You're just crazy, man.
I see.
Couldn't help but notice
you been starin'
at me all night.
I'm Peter.
I know.
Amy.
You messin' with me?
No, but you definitely
got somethin' I want.
Do I now?
Relax, Romeo.
I'm here on business.
Business?
Heard you could sell me a gun.
Get lost, little girl.
Eight hundred. Cash.
Wow...
[Amy]: Close your mouth, Peter.
You're practically drooling.
Gun first. Cash second.
Oh yeah? What's third?
You teachin' me how to use it
so I don't miss
my intended target.
[knock on door]
Mrs. Buttafuoco?
Do I know you?
No. Definitely not.
I'm Anne-Marie Fisher.
I'm here 'cause I'm concerned
about my little sister, Amy.
Why do you um, why do
you look so familiar?
Uh, probably seen me and my
sister around the neighborhood.
She's why I'm here.
She's only 17.
And how old are you?
Nineteen. Which is why
I'm,
so concerned about my little
sister, see? 'Cause,
your husband seduced her
when she was even younger
than she is now.
Is... is this some
kind of prank?
Your husband's
Joey Buttafuoco, right?
Listen, look, I'm a little
busy right now
so if you're done messin'
around I'm gonna...
No, no I'm serious.
Your husband and
my little sister
have been sleeping together.
I have proof.
Where'd you get this?
I mean, you can't even get
this at the shop yet.
Your husband gave it to my
little sister.
After he slept with her.
Over and over and over.
Look, I don't know how
you got this, but keep it.
I don't want it.
I'll tell Joey you stopped by.
No, don't do that!
Why not?
Listen, I-I don't want any
trouble. I'm here because...
What are you lookin' at?
Is that who you
came here with?
Look, I don't know what
kinda game you're playin'
but I'm not interested.
I told you I'd tell Joey you
stopped by, all right?
That good enough for you?
[Amy]: No.
[gunshot cracks]
[panicked breathing]
[nurse]: Dr. Flores,
dial 182, please.
[Mary Jo]: In an instant,
everything about my life
was changed forever.
I don't understand. Shouldn't
we have heard something by now?
[doctor]: Mr. Buttafuoco.
Oh, this is Eileen.
This is Mary Jo's sister.
Is Mary Jo okay?
Your wife's still with us.
[relieved exhales]
The bullet severed her
carotid artery
and is lodged at
the base of her brain.
Just above her spinal column.
But she'll be okay?
She'll live?
[Doctor]: Honestly, it's too
early to tell.
We want to operate
but even if she survives
the surgery,
she's likely to
have severe brain damage.
Could even be paralyzed,
deaf, and or blind.
[inhales shakily]
Now, with your permission,
we'll operate right away.
You do what you gotta do.
You go save my wife.
We'll do the best we can.
I don't understand.
Who would do somethin' like
this? Who'd wanna hurt Mary Jo?
Nobody I can think of,
that's for sure.
[monitor beeping]
[doctor]: Mrs. Buttafuoco?
[doctor]: Mrs. Buttafuoco?
[labored, breathy exhale]
Mary Jo, can you hear me?
Can you blink if you hear me?
Mary Jo, you've been shot.
We're doing everything we can
for you.
Stay strong now. Okay?
Mary Jo. Hey, who shot you?
Who did this to you?
[whines]
[doctor]: Don't try to speak,
Mrs. Buttafuoco.
You've been outfitted with
a tracheostomy tube.
We'd better sedate her.
[Eileen]: Can we at least
let her try writing?
[Mary Jo]: I was fighting
for my life
while everyone else was
fighting about the truth.
No one took me
seriously at first
because they were convinced
that I had brain damage.
Not to mention,
they couldn't remove the bullet
since it might've
put me in even more danger.
[whines]
Anne-Marie, who's
is that who shot you?
No. No, we... we don't
know any Anne-Marie.
[Eileen]: She's writing more.
[Mary Jo]: Even with a bullet in
my head
I was determined to be heard.
None of this is
makin' any sense.
[monitor beeping]
[doctor]: Um...
Your wife has suffered a
great deal of harm.
It's very likely she's
delirious or... worse.
We're still assessing
possible brain damage.
[Mary Jo]: I lost track of all
the surgeries
and physical therapy sessions
I had to go through.
I wasn't the one who
committed the crime
but I was the one
paying the price.
[beeping continues]
[knock on door]
[doctor]: Mr. Buttafuoco,
I have some news.
The bullet penetrating your
jaw bone
likely saved your life.
But it got stuck
there and we weren't able
to remove it without
jeopardizing you further.
Unfortunately, with the
bullet being so close
to your brain and spinal cord,
it's likely that your
facial paralysis
and hearing loss are permanent.
Honey, it's okay.
[cries]
You don't, you don't have to.
[unintelligible]
When can I go back to
solid foods at least?
[doctor]: As you know, your jaw
bone was shattered.
So only liquids for now.
And uh, how 'bout her eye?
Well, she has to wear an eye
patch for a while,
due to severe corneal damage.
We are gonna find
out who did this.
I already know who did it.
[deep inhale and exhale]
And I know why she did it.
[groaning in pain]
I spoke to the nurse.
She's gonna have
your pain medication
at the top of the hour.
[wincing]
Hey...
Sweetheart, we're gonna
get through this. Okay?
[whines]
I don't care what
that doctor says.
What about what the...
the police think, huh?
I keep tellin' ya, I...
I got no connection to this
Anne-Marie or her sister.
Honey, honey,
I did not have an affair with
this awful person who shot you.
Or anyone, for that matter.
On our kids' lives, I swear.
[angered breathing]
What? Come on, come on.
Okay, okay, okay.
[Mary Jo]: It hurts.
[detective]: Only a few more
questions, Mrs. Buttafuoco.
Anything to help find
who did this to Mary Jo.
According to your wife, the
young lady with the gun
said that you and her little
sister were having an affair.
[Joey sighs]
Uh...
No, I got no knowledge
of that sorta thing.
- We gotta ask.
- The shirt.
[Joey]: You know how many shirts
we give away in a year?
It was one of the new
golf shirts. Yeah.
Those are still in boxes.
Sh-sh... she said you gave it
to her little sister
it's how she
was trying to prove that
what she said was true.
[laughs incredulously]
Wasn't.
It isn't.
I don't know. Maybe someone
stole the shirt?
Maybe another employee of the
autobody shop had access to 'em?
You know, on second thought,
there actually was a customer
I-I gave one of those shirts
to as a preview.
A male customer.
Elliot Fisher.
And he's the only one you
gave a golf shirt to?
Maybe this Elliot Fisher has,
has daughters,
or nieces, or somethin'.
[knock on door]
[detective]: We got somethin'.
[Joey]: 'Bout time.
That's her. Yeah, that's
that's the girl that shot me.
Th-that's Anne-Marie.
Amy. Amy Fisher.
The daughter of your
customer, Elliot Fisher.
Wow. So, he got kids, huh?
[detective]: One daughter.
We just needed
your confirmation.
Now we can lure her in.
How you gonna do that?
[tape recorder clicks on]
Stick to the script.
Nothin' more, nothin' less.
Yeah, yeah, got it.
[call ringing]
[phone rings]
Hello?
Hey, is this Amy Fisher?
This is Joey Buttafuoco
from the autobody shop.
Joey, how come you're...
[Joey]: You know what? It's
better we talk in person.
Yeah. Uh...
Can you meet right now?
[Amy]: Just uh, tell me where
you're at. Okay.
Be right there.
[siren whooping]
Stay calm. Could be just
a, uh, traffic ticket.
[officer]: Step out of
the vehicle
and place both hands
on your head.
[reporter]: Amy! Amy!
Did you do it?
If you didn't, who did? Amy!
[reporter 2]: Amy! Miss Fisher!
Talk to us, Miss Fisher.
It'll take two minutes.
Amy! Amy!
Amy Fisher, dubbed "The Long
Island Lolita"
since it's rumored
she was having an illicit affair
with the victim's husband,
is now the prime
suspect in the shooting
of Mary Jo Buttafuoco.
It should be noted that Miss
Fisher is only 17 years old,
leaving many to wonder just how
responsible
someone this young could be,
for the circumstances
she finds herself in.
The media portrayed Amy Fisher
as this sweet 17-year-old
who'd been taken advantage of.
Who didn't know
what she was doing.
I understand the complexity now,
that someone can be both
victim and perpetrator.
But I was there
on that front porch
the day she shot me,
and Amy Fisher knew what
she was doing before,
during, and after.
[Joey]: All right, I got this.
[reporters]: Ms. Buttafuoco!
Ms. Buttafuoco!
Hey, what're you doin'?
Back off! Clear a path. Come on!
Hey, I got ya. I got ya.
[Mary Jo]: What, these people
don't have anything
better to do, huh?
[Joey]: I keep tellin' ya,
sweetheart, we're famous.
I don't wanna be famous.
I want my kids.
Mom!
[Mary Jo]: Hi! Oh, my God.
[Paul]: Mom!
[Mary Jo]: Oh, hey,
c'mere, c'mere.
Careful, Paul and Jessie,
your mother's still hurt.
[Mary Jo]: Don't listen to
your father.
[Paul]: I love you.
[Mary Jo]: I love you too.
I never want you to let go.
I love you too, baby.
[reporter]: Who do you believe,
Mary Jo,
your husband or Amy Fisher?
[breathing sternly]
[Mary Jo]: I was so beaten up,
so dependent on Joey
financially.
I didn't want to break up
our family.
The kids were young.
I was worried what people
would say.
What my Irish
Catholic mother would think
if I questioned Joey's
and my wedding vows.
Joey was all I knew.
All I thought I had.
And he seemed so sincere.
It wasn't so much that
I was ignorant,
it's that Joey was
that good at being dishonest.
The realization that my life
would never be the same,
that I might never
be able to smile again,
was something I didn't know if
I could ever come to terms with.
[sombre music]
Jess?
Sweetie, you awake, huh?
Hmm?
Hi.
Can I see this?
You are the sweetest girl.
Thank you.
I keep telling you,
it was an accident.
That's all you gotta
say for yourself?
I was confused on account of
Joey's so much older than me,
and I really didn't know
what I was doing.
You gotta believe me. The gun
went off by itself. I swear!
[Mary Jo]: The physical evidence
told a different story.
Detectives had the theory
that the gun Amy used
had its slide pulled back
before it was fired,
which showed she came to my home
with the intent to shoot me.
That was hard to accept.
All I wanted was for my life
to return to normal,
and that meant
putting faith in my family.
I'm not sure this
is the best idea, Joey,
you know? I mean...
Feels like...
It feels like it's too soon.
[clapping and cheers]
What'd I tell ya?
Everyone loves ya.
Same as us.
Especially me.
All right, let's go find
a nice cabana for your mother.
Come on.
Does it hurt?
'Scuse me?
Where the bullet
went in and out.
You wanna know a secret?
It's still in my head, yeah?
In my jaw.
Can we see?
Sure ya can.
If you had X-ray vision
like Superman,
you'd be able
to see right there.
Wow!
Mm-hmm.
Mrs. Buttafuoco,
you're the coolest lady, ever!
He's right, you know.
You're definitely
the coolest lady ever.
[Mary Jo]: Joey was a
fabulous liar and manipulator.
But he wasn't the only one still
hiding the truth
of what really happened.
I'm glad we came.
[kids chattering]
[cups thud loudly on table]
So?
Anything change?
You can ask me
the same questions over and over
all you want.
My story's never gonna change.
None of this is my fault.
I got caught up in
other people's troubles, is all.
Their manipulations.
I was used!
A Mr. Steven Sleeman
and a Mr. Peter Guagenti
tell a very different story
from the one you've shared,
Miss Fisher.
They tell one of helping you
try to kil Mary Jo Buttafuoco
last November.
And when that plan
didn't work out
the other says that
he sold you a gun
and drove you to
the Buttafuoco residence
so that you could
do it yourself.
We're not gonna comment
on what sounds like hearsay,
at best.
Holding back information
isn't gonna do you any favors.
We're aware of our rights.
According to sources,
the only person
who doesn't suspect
Joey Buttafuoco had an affair
with the accused assailant
is his wife,
the gunshot victim,
Mary Jo Buttafuoco.
[door creaks open]
[Joey]: Come bearing gifts.
[scoffs in disgust]
Apple sauce and cottage cheese?
At least you don't
have to eat through a straw.
Yeah.
All right.
[Mary Jo]: Yuck.
I hear the news on here again?
Hmm?
How many times I gotta tell you
that stuff's no good for ya.
Can I help it if
we're all that's on TV?
And if I wanted to be famous
or infamous?
You know who really
doesn't mind being famous?
It's that girl.
Who...
Who?
What?
You go ahead, say it.
You don't believe I never
slept with Amy Fisher, do ya?
[Mary Jo]: Looking back, I
can see the cracks forming
all around me.
If only I'd been ready
to admit it to myself
at the time.
It's not that
I don't believe you, Joey.
I just wish that these...
These idiots on TV did.
You know I'm...
The things that these reporters,
these newscasters are saying
about us.
About our marriage?
We've gotta make sure
Paul and Jessie
never see this stuff.
Amy Fisher is
a very confused young girl.
Sure, I remember her
being in the shop a lot.
Her dad let her charge repairs
to his account.
She was a really bad driver,
always getting in
all these accidents.
[snorting laugh]
Anything she says about me?
Bald-faced lie.
That's all there is to it.
Besides, something I want to
talk to you about
that's better than TV?
[Mary Jo]: Oh, yeah?
What's that?
Movies.
[Mary Jo]: "Dear Mr.
And Mrs. Buttafuoco",
"if you'll kindly grant us
your valuable time
"for a meeting,
we'd like to explain
"how telling your story
cinematically,
"can bring something good
outta something that's been"
"truly awful for you."
[somber music]
[Joey] Give me a kiss.
[Mary Jo]: Hollywood came
calling sooner than the police
could wrap up the case.
Everyone wanted in
on the action.
They were making three movies
at the same time.
I couldn't believe it.
But everyone around me
thought it was so exciting.
"Oh, Mary Jo's on TV.
Joey's consulting on a movie."
I thought to myself,
if this was happening
to my best friend,
it would be exciting.
So, I went along with it.
[Mary Jo]: Even though
we were on the set
for one of the movies,
I was still in total denial
of the absurdity of it all.
Not to mention barely
functional because of all
the drugs I was on for pain.
[director]: And action.
You're gonna wanna hear
what I have to say.
[Movie Mary Jo]: I need to
get back to my painting.
[Movie Amy]: He's lying to you.
It's not how it happened.
Nah, it's Hollywood, babe.
Just be glad that one of these
movies is finally telling
my side of the sto...
Our side of the story.
Hmm.
[piercing ringing]
You okay?
Someone call 911!
Mary Jo.
Mary Jo, you okay?
Come on.
Dr. Forrest, dial 118, please.
[PA speaker]: Dr. Forrest,
please dial 118.
Joey?
[painful breathing]
[Nurse]: You should be resting,
Mary Jo.
Hmm?
You don't mind me
calling you that, do you?
No, of course not.
So, um
you feeling well enough
for me to ask a small favor?
Can I get an autograph?
I figure if I get yours
and Joey's,
then all I need is Amy Fisher's.
Although I am
very much Team Mary Jo.
[Mary Jo]: I never wanted
to be recognized in public.
I was happy being a wife, a mom.
I loved my life.
All I wanted was
to be there for my children.
Those three movies did nothing
to help my anonymity.
Pfft. At this point
in my life,
I've seen myself shot
in the head on TV
more than 300 times.
Everything became about
Joey and Amy.
Me and my kids
got lost in the shuffle.
And things just
kept getting worse.
Was Joey Buttafuoco
the one who told you
to shoot Mary Jo, Amy?
Whose idea was it
to kill Mrs. Buttafuoco?
If you're innocent,
we wanna hear from you, Amy.
You can talk to us.
[hard knocking]
[laughter]
[laughter]
What's so funny?
This show really cracks me up.
Come on.
Watch some TV with us.
Take a load off.
No, I'm okay.
[Mary Jo]: A lot of
the comedy shows back then
thought it was funny
to do sketches,
making fun of what happened,
what I was going through,
me being paralyzed
on one side of my face.
You know who didn't
find any of that funny?
Me.
I can't even watch
those comedy shows right now.
And like not knowing when
they're gonna
make fun of us again.
When did I...
Did we become the
punchline?
Our lawyer's looking in
and see when the shows
that are doing that.
'Cause because I got shot
in the face?
'Cause I believe you?
The man I promised to love
'til death do us part, you know.
What you and I got
is rock solid.
No one needs to understand that
except for you, me,
and the kids.
[Mary Jo]: Looking back, I
can see I had all the symptoms
of Stockholm Syndrome.
I still didn't think Joey
had been having an affair
with the person
who did this to me.
Life was too foggy
because of the multiple
pain medications I was on.
When I was in 6th grade,
I had a concussion
after a bad fall
and couldn't remember anything
for a short period.
Catholic school left me back
a grade.
Everyone called me immature,
the left-back baby.
Kids told me I was stupid.
Then later in life,
this all happens,
and now I'm stupid again
because I'm not leaving Joey.
Because I believed the man
I swore to stay with,
for better or for worse.
These interrogations are
bordering on harassment.
My client remains
a frightened young girl,
a victim of everyone
who's trying to take
inappropriate advantage of her.
We're just trying to do
our best to piece together
the facts as they're revealed
to us,
for everyone's best interest,
including Miss Fisher's.
If you've got something
you haven't disclosed,
that alone could
be grounds for...
All we're asking for is
a little clarification
on all the stuff
about Miss Fisher
being reported on TV night
after night.
Tabloid fodder, none of
which has been substantiated.
Just some people trying
to make a quick buck off
all the publicity
surrounding my client.
Coming, Cap.
Hey, don't worry.
We're still gonna get 'em
to agree to a plea deal.
[Amy sniffles]
[door closing]
[phone ringing]
[Mary Jo]: Hello?
[lawyer]: I just wanted
to let you know
that Amy Fisher's grand jury
testimony has been
temporarily postponed.
What?
Yeah, apparently she's been
hit hard by a news story
airing last night with a video
of her admitting to
her boyfriend that she's keeping
her name in the press
to make a lot of money
and get a super high-end car.
Really.
Mm-hmm.
So, they said that
she'll be there for at least
a week for psychiatric
examination and observation.
Look, it's not like
I want her to...
You know?
I'll be in touch when
we have more information.
Okay. Thank you.
[lawyer]: Take care of yourself,
Mary Jo.
[slams down phone]
Everything good?
Nothing's been good
since May, Joey.
Or have you not
been paying attention?
Babe, I...
Amy's in the hospital
for psychiatric examination.
[exhales]
- Yeah, yeah, I mean,
I keep telling you
how messed up she is.
What about me, Joey?
Do you understand how long
I have been waiting to finally
see the person who shot me
testify to a grand jury
so she will finally
face charges?
I do.
[Mary Jo]: No.
[sighs]
This is never gonna end,
is it?
Will today be the final chapter
in the lengthy saga
of the Long Island Lolita?
Inside this courthouse,
Amy Fisher will at long last
come face to face
with her victim.
It will be the first time
the two have seen each other
since May 19th, 1992,
when Amy Fisher allegedly
visited a tranquil
Massapequa home and put a bullet
in Mary Jo Buttafuoco's head.
[courtroom murmurs]
Let's try to keep this matter
as efficient as we can
since the defendant has already
agreed to plead guilty
to the shooting in arrangement
for her plea deal.
[courtroom murmurs]
[gavel bangs]
The defendant has a statement
she wishes to enter?
Uh, yes, Your Honor.
[Mary Jo]: Seeing Amy
Fisher in person for the first time
since the shooting was surreal.
The girl who tried to kill me
in the same room.
But I held my head high.
I knew who I was.
I had my integrity,
and I wasn't trading it
for anything.
Sometimes I think this
was a nightmare,
and it didn't really happen,
and then I realize that it did.
I went up to the doorstep
with a loaded gun in my pocket.
I spoke with Mrs. Buttafuoco
outside her Massapequa home
for 15 minutes until
Mrs. Buttafuoco turned
to go back inside.
I hit her on the back
of the head.
I hit her again.
The gun went off.
I tried to get her off of me,
and I hit her, I think, twice.
And then I left.
I ran away.
These, Your Honor, are all true.
They are all facts.
And I cannot and will not
take them back
for the sake of harmony.
And now I believe we'll hear
from Amy Fisher's victim.
[courtroom murmurs]
[bangs gavel]
[judge]: Make no mistake,
this courtroom will not devolve
into the media frenzy
that has surrounded
these goings-on
for the last year and a half.
Mrs. Buttafuoco.
My two beautiful children
are having a difficult time
leaving me alone.
They are afraid I might not
be there when they get home
from school.
They have been
severely traumatized
by this event.
And this, to me,
is the greatest tragedy of all.
All this damage by someone
who still shows absolutely
no remorse for her actions.
The bullet is still lodged
in the base of my brain
and causes me constant pain
and suffering.
The future holds
numerous operations,
and if there is any
unnatural movement
of the bullet,
I am faced with paralysis,
and perhaps, even death.
[judge]: I understand you have
a letter written
by your daughter, Jessica,
that you'd like to read?
"Thank you for putting
Amy Fisher in jail.
"She has done so many bad things
to my family and I.
"Please make Amy Fisher stay
in jail for a very long time
"so she can't hurt my mom again."
"My daddy,"
"brother Paul,
and I love her very much."
[sniffles]
So far, the seductive teenager
has stuck to her story,
that she had a steamy romance
with the Mary Jo Buttafuoco's
husband, Joey Buttafuoco,
who isn't in
the courtroom today.
At an earlier news conference,
he once again claimed
he never had sex
with the accused.
I have a brief statement.
Amy Fisher is a liar
and has zero credibility.
She knows that.
I know she's a liar.
I know she has no credibility.
That's all I'm gonna say.
You are a tragedy
and disgrace to yourself,
to your family,
to your friends, and to society.
And you deserve no less
than the maximum sentence
I can impose by law.
For many months, You had stalked
Mary Jo Buttafuoco
like a wild animal
stalks its prey.
Motivated by lust and passion,
you were a walking stick
of dynamite with the fuse lit.
Amy Fisher
you are sentenced
to 5 to 15 years in prison.
[courtroom murmurs]
Do you have anything you wish
to say to the court?
Or to Mrs. Buttafuoco?
If I could change everything,
I would.
If I could put my hand
over her face
and make it go away, I would.
I don't wanna be
the Amy Fisher
that stands here today.
I wanna be the Amy Fisher
I was before I met Joe Butafuoco
in November of 1990.
[gavel bangs]
[reporter]: Do you still believe
your husband didn't sleep
with Amy Fisher?
Do you feel sorry
for her at all?
You don't need
to talk to them, okay?
Amy Fisher is a liar,
not to mention
an attempted murderer.
Right?
And the DA is taking
her word over Joey's.
I am not gonna let this
one person destroy our lives.
There you have it.
[grumbles]
You're Mary Jo Buttafuoco,
right?
You've been through so much.
I am a big fan.
Thank you.
I am so embarrassed.
Sorry.
No, it's okay.
Have a nice day, all right?
[woman]: Is it true
what they're saying?
That Amy Fisher can describe,
you know, Joey's privates?
[Mary Jo]: I developed
this weird ability to ignore
what anyone was saying.
I still believed Joey.
I was in pain,
mental and physical,
and on way too many drugs
to know the difference.
Not to mention being raised
Catholic in the 60s
absolutely shaped my view
of what was right and wrong.
Catholics don't get divorced.
One time when Joey and I
temporarily separated,
my mother said,
"This is what happens when"
"you don't have Jesus
in your life."
That was her answer
to everything
I was going through.
Everyone close to us
still believed Joey,
even when one
of his former employees
told a talk show Joey
had admitted to sleeping
with Amy Fisher.
And the DA filed charges
because of it.
[Joey] I keep telling ya,
that former employee is
just trying to stir up trouble.
None of what he says
on TV is true.
You want me to go to trial
to get sentenced for something
I never did?
Six counts of statutory rape,
12 counts of sodomy,
one count of endangering
the welfare of a child?
If you never did any of it
why did
the grand jury indict you?
And why would gonna trial
be a problem, Joey?
Our lawyer says
taking the plea deal
is the safe bet.
Even though you and me,
we both know I never did
what that girl said.
[footsteps stomp away]
[slams cup on table]
Hey, no, no,
none of that's true.
Don't get yourself worked up.
When is this all gonna be
done?
I could save my face,
or I could save my butt
and be here with you
and the kids where I belong.
[ring taps twice on table]
This is the last of it,
all right?
The last of this
awful nightmare.
I take the plea,
and then we can finally move on
and get the happy ever after
that you, me,
and the kids deserve.
[Mary Jo]: This was
yet another wake-up call,
but I wasn't ready to wake up.
Instead, I numbed myself
with pills,
believed harder,
held on even tighter,
to a version of Joey
that didn't really exist.
[Amy] When this
relationship began,
I was not just
a 16-year-old teenager
taken to bed by a man
over twice my age,
I was a 16-year-old teenager
shown a world that
I was not ready for,
a world of elaborate spending
and fast boats.
This man took me
to expensive restaurants
and cheap motels.
I hope whatever sentence
you might impose today
will send a message
to other teenagers
who might be tempted
by men like Mr. Buttafuoco.
I know with all my heart
that if Mr. Buttafuoco
had permitted me to cross
the bridge between adolescence
and adulthood unmolested,
I would not be where I am today.
[sniffs]
Thank you.
[footsteps stomping]
[judge]: I cannot accept
your plea unless, in fact,
you are guilty.
Please, tell me.
On July 2nd, 1991,
I had sexual relations
with Amy Fisher at a motel.
[courtroom murmurs]
[gavel bangs]
There is a family
involved here.
Joseph, Mary Jo's father,
in-laws, children.
That's the kind of man Joey is.
He did all he could do
in that courtroom
so that everybody else's life
could go free.
[reporter]: Joey,
why didn't Mary Jo
accompany you here today?
Well, last night, Mary Jo
had a rough night.
Her true pain
is for her children.
That's all we're saying.
[Jessica]: These are for
the walls in your cell, Daddy.
It's not a cell, baby.
It's a room.
So you don't forget about us.
These are great, Jess.
How about you, Champ?
You doing all right?
[Paul]: I don't know.
This isn't right, Joey.
Bringing the kids here
to visit you of all places, huh?
You know, the lawyer says
I'll get off early.
Four months instead of six,
then it'll be like
none of this ever happened.
Yeah, maybe not
for the both of us, huh?
[laughs]
You wait and see, Mary Jo.
I'm gonna prove it to you.
Everything gets better
from this moment.
Look what our daughter
drew for me.
Huh?
Pretty good.
Is that me in the orange?
Come on.
[Mary Jo]: After
the statutory rape conviction,
when Joey got out of jail,
the neighborhood threw
a huge party.
Joey came home
a triumphant hero.
Nothing he did or was accused of
changed the opinions
of those closest to him.
Not our friends, not our family,
not me,
not yet.
[phone ringing]
Hello?
[Joey]: Don't be upset.
What am I not supposed
to be upset about, Joey?
It's the middle
of the night here.
All right.
I, uh...
I was arrested for
solicitation here in L.A.
What?
You swore you were gonna
stay out of trouble
while you were
on the West Coast.
It was a total setup.
I-I'm innocent.
You forget that
you're on parole?
Hmm?
- No, I talked to the lawyer.
He's... He's gonna
clear it all up.
Yeah, and what about
the next time, Joey?
Huh?
Everything's just gonna
get cleared up for you again?
'Cause everything's
about you, right?
You know, all the news
just makes everything about Amy.
And at the end of the day,
nobody cares about the woman
walking around with a bullet
permanently stuck in her jaw.
Sweetheart, we're gonna
clear this up, okay?
[sniffles then grumbles]
[slams down receiver]
[Mary Jo]: With Joey,
it always wasn't him.
It didn't happen this way.
He didn't give her the money,
whatever.
It was the same crap
I heard over and over again.
I needed the pills to function.
I wasn't getting high.
I was avoiding incredible pain.
Physical, and I now realize,
mental.
The pills dulled my mind
and my instincts.
I relied on drugs
for seven long years.
But eventually, even they
couldn't numb the depths
of what I was feeling.
After Joey's arrest in L.A.,
I went into a spiral
of depression.
At this point,
I just wanted to be dead.
[drawer rasps open]
[pills rattling]
[Mary Jo]: I didn't
know where else to turn,
what else to do.
[Jessica]: Mom?
It's been like three days
you've been in here.
[pill bottles clatter]
[Jessica]: Mommy?
Jess?
You scared me.
[exhales]
I'm sorry, honey. I just...
I haven't felt like doing much
the past few days with sleep,
you know?
All me and Paul
want is to see you happy.
Hey, I know that, sweetheart,
but
the paralysis
from the bullet is permanent.
One half of my face
is never gonna work right.
Hey, but that doesn't mean
I don't love you and Paul
with all my heart, okay?
[worried exhale]
Oh, thank you.
You're too good to me.
Come here.
I love you.
[Mary Jo]: It was the
lowest point in my life,
and I gave up fighting.
Nothing was getting better.
I was so torn up on the inside,
so depleted,
I actually researched
carbon monoxide poisoning.
That's how low I sunk.
I didn't think there was
any way out for me
or my kids.
Thank God I finally realized
I wasn't thinking
with a clear mind.
[pill bottles thump
in waste basket]
I finally decided
if the bullet still lodged
in my head hadn't done me in,
then I was gonna have to
somehow find a way to go on.
[lawyer] Let's make sure.
[Mary Jo]: We're
sure about this?
[lawyer]: Mm-hmm.
[Mary Jo]: This is
the best idea?
[lawyer]: Yeah, well, I wouldn't
be footing the bill if I didn't.
You remind me that
there's still good in the world.
You know that?
I could say the same
to you, Mary Jo.
Look, we both know that pills
aren't the answer,
not ultimately.
But it's time
you treated yourself
after all this mental pain
you've been suffering through.
Thank you.
[sobbing and groaning in pain]
[Mary Jo]: Hey! Hey!
Oh, you gotta help me,
all right?
You gotta at least give me
my, my prescription, okay?
Please!
[heavy breathing]
Please!
Mary Jo, it can get better
from this moment
if you decide to make this
your rock bottom.
[sobbing]
[melancholic music]
[shivering breaths]
[nurse]: You can do this.
[Mary Jo]: Yeah.
[nurse]: I'll get you
some water.
[shivering breaths]
Thank you for sharing.
And what about shame?
Oh, definitely me.
Sorry, did you,
did you say fame or shame?
[chuckling]
I don't really know
what's worse.
The fact that I...
I never wanted to be famous
or the fact that I...
I really loved being
a mom and a wife.
And I know that that's not
popular to say nowadays,
but it's true.
I loved it.
I never wanted to be
recognized in public,
least of all for
having a life-altering injury.
You know, for people
thinking that I'm, I'm an idiot
for desperately trying to honor
my wedding vows, you know?
I never wanted any of this.
Not for me and, and...
Especially not for my,
for my kids, you know?
From what you shared,
I'm not sure that was
a choice you made for them.
Music
Woo!
[Mary Jo]: Jessie, Paul,
c'mere, c'mere, c'mere!
We missed you so much.
[Mary Jo]: Oh, my God,
I missed you so much.
Thank you for your letters
and your drawings.
Where's your father?
He-he couldn't make it.
Don't worry about it.
Forget I said anything.
I'm just so happy you're here.
You look great!
Kinda happy!
Just kinda?
From now on,
we're gonna be really happy.
You know, my time in here
did me a lot of good.
I can finally let go,
move on, got my power back.
That means I got to forgive.
- Forgive?
- Forgive who?
Go ahead, Miss Fisher.
I'd like to say
something to Mary Jo.
What happened to you
wasn't your husband's fault,
wasn't your fault,
wasn't my father's fault,
and wasn't anybody else's fault.
It was my fault.
And I have spent
the last seven years
trying to figure it out.
It was my fault, and I'm sorry.
[melancholic music]
[heavy footsteps]
[judge]: Mrs. Buttafuoco?
Amy Fisher has shown
great remorse and sorrow
for what she did to me.
You're being given
a second chance in life,
and I pray that you take it
and make something good out
of something tragic.
I'm sorry.
I'm truly very sorry.
People always ask,
why did I forgive the person
who tried to kill me?
It wasn't for Amy Fisher's sake,
I promise you.
It was for me.
Back then, I still had
a lot to figure out.
About Joey, about myself.
But I knew this much,
I wasn't gonna let
hate define me.
Not anymore.
Your Honor,
given that my client
now accepts full responsibility
for the terrible act
of seven years ago,
and in light of her testimony,
we are urging you to
grant Ms. Fisher parole.
[Mary Jo]: When I finally came
to my senses and told my mother
I was leaving Joey,
she didn't speak to me
for four months.
I was wrong, he was right.
I was the bad Catholic.
That's the stronghold Joey
still had on everyone
who knew him.
One day I just looked
at that picture of our family,
covered Joey's face
with my thumb,
and realized me and the kids
were better off without him.
I know you might be wondering
if there was some big moment
that caused me to
finally leave Joey?
Some dramatic confrontation
or giant revelation.
But it wasn't like that.
It was more like death
by a thousand cuts.
It took years and years
before I realized
Joey was never gonna change.
And it was time for me
to reclaim my power, my life.
I was finally done
with him, once and for all.
Today, our son Paul has
a limited relationship with him.
Jessie and I don't speak
to him at all.
And yes, people still ask me
about Amy Fisher.
Needless to say,
we aren't in touch.
The gun went off by accident.
[Mary Jo]: Her version of events
has changed over the years
since she shot me.
It was Joey who told me
to go up to the door,
point the gun, and keep firing.
[Mary Jo]: Her truths aren't
necessarily mine.
I took the plea deal
on account I'd get parole
three years after
I went to jail.
Amy Fisher's story
is hers to tell.
Mine is about survival.
About refusing to let
what she did
define the rest of my life.
Me and my kids are still here.
We're still standing.
We're still smiling.
That's our victory.
And would you believe
I even got married again?
Stu Tendler and his children
were a wonderful gift,
each of them showing Paul,
Jessie, and me what it meant
to be part of a family
that loved and was committed
to one another.
Even though the marriage
didn't last,
Stu reminded me of my worth.
And that led to yet
another surgery that
was completely unexpected.
You really think I'm gonna
be able to smile again,
Dr. Azizzadeh?
I've been dealing
with this frozen look
for so long, it feels like I've,
you know, kinda given up hope.
[Dr. Azizzadeh]: There's
certain muscles
keeping your paralysis
from improving.
What I'm talking about
is rewiring your nerves.
My mom doesn't think
of herself as pretty
or beautiful,
when the complete
opposite's true.
I mean, she's the most
beautiful person I know.
The surgery will be intense.
I'd be using a nerve stimulator
to identify which
microscopic nerves are working
and which are misfiring.
Well, Mary Jo, what do you say?
[Mary Jo]: My smile was there
all along, mind you.
Just hidden.
But it was always
under the surface.
Thanks to Jessie and Paul, who,
through everything,
always gave me a reason
to be happy.
Now Dr. Azizzadeh was
offering me a chance
to show my smile
to the world again.
[Jessica]: Mom, how are you?
So can you smile now or what?
Hmm...
I don't know.
Try-try tellin' me a joke.
Dad.
[chuckling]
[Jessica]: Mom?
Doctor said it's gonna
get even better.
[Paul]: You're amazing.
[Mary Jo]: To this day,
Joey doesn't accept
any responsibility
for the lives he wrecked.
He never apologized
to Paul or Jessie.
He couldn't even admit
to me in person that
he really did sleep
with Amy Fisher.
Speaking of causes
for celebration,
May 15th is around the corner.
Must we celebrate
when you're getting older?
Duh! That's kinda what people
do on their birthdays, Mom.
Yeah, I think I'd rather
celebrate shooting day
on May 19th.
[laughs]
Oh, my gosh. That's genius.
The three of us celebrating
everything we survived
on the actual date everything
about our lives changed.
Yeah, I wasn't certain
I was being serious about that.
[Paul]: Shooting day. I'm in.
We're gonna take back that
date that's always brought us
shame and fear.
And we're gonna make it our own.
Who are you callin'?
I'm making restaurant
reservations at our favorite
Italian place for May 19th.
Mom, you're a genius.
So, that's what we do now.
Every May 19th, Paul, Jessie,
and I get together
and celebrate "Survival Day"
because it's our day
and no one else's.
We're finally through
being a spectacle
and done with letting that
date pull us back into
the misery of what
was in the past.
I am Mary Jo Buttafuoco.
I'm alive, I'm grateful,
I'm at peace,
and I'm smiling.
[pensive music]