Mary Jo Buttafuoco Recalls Exact Feeling of Being Shot in the Face by Amy Fisher (Exclusive)

For three decades, the name Mary Jo Buttafuoco has been synonymous with one of the most sensational and shocking crimes of the 1990s: the infamous 'Long Island Lolita' shooting orchestrated by Amy Fisher. The attack—a targeted shooting at her home—left Mary Jo critically injured, struggling not only for her life but also battling the psychological weight of a global media frenzy.

In a powerful and exclusive new interview, Buttafuoco, now an advocate and survivor, details the almost unimaginable moment of impact, recalling the *exact visceral feeling* of the bullet tearing through her skull. It was not the sharp, immediate pain most imagine, but something far more disorienting and terrifying.

The Knock That Changed Everything: May 19, 1992

On the morning of May 19, 1992, Mary Jo Buttafuoco was home when a young woman, disguised as a postal worker, knocked on the door of her Massapequa home. This woman was 17-year-old Amy Fisher, who had been having an affair with Mary Jo's husband, Joey Buttafuoco. Fisher arrived with a motive of malice, determined to eliminate the wife.

Mary Jo recalls feeling a moment of strange confusion, not immediate fear. The person on her doorstep seemed harmless, bundled up in oversized clothing. She was focused on figuring out the purpose of the unexpected visit, not anticipating the brutal violence that was about to erupt.

"I opened the door completely," Mary Jo explains. "I saw a uniform, and I remember thinking, 'Is she delivering something? Why is she covering her face so much?' There was no time to process the threat."

The conversation was brief, almost mundane, until the gun appeared. Fisher demanded entry, and when Mary Jo resisted, the situation escalated instantly. The transition from mundane encounter to life-altering trauma was instantaneous.

The attack came without warning. It was a cold, calculated attempt on her life that would launch the family into an unwanted global spotlight and cement Amy Fisher's nickname as the "Long Island Lolita."

The Visceral Impact: Recalling the Unimaginable Trauma

When asked what it feels like to be shot in the face—a question few survivors can answer with such clarity—Mary Jo's description diverges sharply from common dramatic portrayals seen in movies.

"It wasn't the searing, hot fire I expected from the movies," Buttafuoco shares exclusively. "It was, initially, a monumental sound. A deafening, explosive crack that instantly obliterated my hearing in one ear. Then came the physical feeling, which was terrifyingly immediate."

She describes the bullet, which entered her skull just below the ear, fracturing her jaw and causing severe brain injury, not as a sharp pierce, but as a tremendous, blunt force trauma.

"Imagine being hit by a baseball bat swung by a professional baseball player, but inside your head. It felt like my skull had instantly turned into shattered glass," she details. "There was a profound, shocking jolt, like a massive electrical current running through my head and neck, followed by instant disorientation."

The next sensation was an overwhelming, terrifying warmth. This was the blood, which she immediately recognized.

"I remember reaching up, and my hand came away covered. It wasn't pain that registered first, but the shocking weight of the reality: I knew I had been shot. I was dying," she recounts. Her immediate goal shifted from confusion to survival—getting back inside and calling for help before Amy Fisher could strike again.

The physical journey from the doorway to the telephone was an agonizing, instinctual struggle against immediate sensory shutdown. The bullet caused permanent damage, including partial facial paralysis and long-term auditory processing issues.

Key immediate physical sensations Mary Jo recalls:

• The deafening sound, followed by severe tinnitus.
• A massive, blunt-force jolt, like an electrical shock, not a penetration.
• Instant loss of balance and feeling of the world tilting violently.
• The overwhelming sensation of hot blood flooding the side of her face and neck.
• A metallic taste combined with the smell of gunpowder.

This event initiated years of complex reconstructive surgery and intense physical therapy. The physical scar tissue eventually faded, but the psychological trauma of the gunshot remains a powerful, defining memory she now uses to connect with other victims of violence.

Decades of Healing: Recovery and Public Scrutiny

The immediate aftermath of the shooting saw Mary Jo fighting for her life in the hospital while the scandal involving her husband, Joey Buttafuoco, and Amy Fisher exploded across every news channel. The media often seemed more focused on the sordid details of the affair than the horrific trauma Mary Jo endured.

The road to recovery was arduous, involving countless procedures to repair her facial structure and address the neurological impacts of the bullet. Beyond the medical necessity, Mary Jo faced the unique challenge of recovering under the world's microscope, often feeling judged and scrutinized for the actions of others.

"The hardest part was realizing that my trauma was being treated as entertainment," she says. "I was the victim of a violent crime, yet the focus was on the drama. I had to learn to separate the sensationalism from my own personal journey of healing."

Her resilience became her defining trait. Instead of retreating from the public eye, Mary Jo chose to channel her experience into advocacy, speaking openly about surviving extreme violence and coping with facial disfigurement and brain injury.

The case eventually saw Amy Fisher convicted and sentenced, while Joey Buttafuoco also served jail time on related charges. For Mary Jo, the legal outcomes were secondary to her commitment to emotional and physical restoration.

Finding Peace After the Gunshot Trauma

Today, Mary Jo Buttafuoco speaks about the attack with a profound sense of detachment, viewing her younger self as a person who endured the unthinkable. Her perspective on Amy Fisher has evolved from victimhood to a place of complicated acceptance.

She emphasizes that true healing is not about forgetting the painful experience, but about integrating it into a narrative of strength. The feeling of being shot, the moment the world stopped, is a memory she carries, but it no longer dictates her future.

"I remember that moment vividly—the shock, the noise, the fall—but I have chosen not to be defined by that feeling," Mary Jo concludes. "The moment Amy Fisher pulled that trigger was terrifying, but every day since has been about showing that a survivor's story is far more powerful than the story of their attack."

Mary Jo Buttafuoco's exclusive and raw recounting provides a critical window into the reality of surviving a close-range gunshot, solidifying her legacy not as a footnote in a sensational scandal, but as a remarkable testament to human endurance against unimaginable odds.

Mary Jo Buttafuoco Recalls Exact Feeling of Being Shot in the Face by Amy Fisher (Exclusive)

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