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If I Knew Then . . .
One of the most recognized names in America, Amy Fisher--now thirty and a happily married mother and award-winning journalist--finally tells the true story in her own words and includes many never-before-seen photographs. Amy writes candidly of her childhood, her relationship with Joey Buttafuoco, the shooting, life in prison, parole, and how she has pieced her life back together again. It's both a chilling cautionary tale and an intensely personal and truly inspirational story of remose, rehabilitation, and redemption.
324 pages, Paperback
First published September 21, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
August 5, 2009
When I found out that Amy Fisher wrote a memoir, I became curious and wanted to read it. I wanted to know what this 30 year-old had to say as she reflected on her 16 year-old self, the age she was when she committed her crime. I expected that prison time and maturity would have made her more remorseful for what she did but this wasn't the case. In "If I Knew Then...", Amy Fisher comes across as the person who was wronged and she portrays herself as the victim. I had such a hard time reading this that I couldn't even finish the book but I felt I had read enough of it to write a review. Please note that this memoir is not worth your time!
August 5, 2015
This walks an almost fine line between being highly self-obsessed and trying to be wise and open enough to make a difference in society today.
Solid points are made between the difference of the medialization of the 1990's and today, with the 'Long Island Lolita' becoming a world wide spectical (with 3 films made I may add) and the majority of the blame being heavily misplaced onto the minor (Amy).
Things have for sure changed socially and criminally in the 20 years or so since the Long Island Lolita crime, although as I said, pleanty of the pages are plagued with self obsessed narcissism - which is a shame.
Solid points are made between the difference of the medialization of the 1990's and today, with the 'Long Island Lolita' becoming a world wide spectical (with 3 films made I may add) and the majority of the blame being heavily misplaced onto the minor (Amy).
Things have for sure changed socially and criminally in the 20 years or so since the Long Island Lolita crime, although as I said, pleanty of the pages are plagued with self obsessed narcissism - which is a shame.
December 8, 2011
If I Knew Then
By:Amy Fisher and RobbieWoliver
This book is a wonderful book that I would recommend to anyone. I loved this book because she tells you what life in prison is like and how she got there. Its a great story it is like she’s talking to specifically to you. She tells you what to look for in a troubled teen to see if they are headed toward disaster. She also say tells teens how to stay out of trouble and what to do if you are already on the fast track to trouble.
Even though you probably can’t relate to this she makes you feel like you can. Through out the book there are pictures of her in and out of prison. She tells you how she has changed and what she does after she gets out of prison. She also has multiple relationships throughout the book. Many of the people that knew her used her for money. She got multiple offers for money from T.V. networks, News papers, and more. She was lied to and cheated. In prison many things happened to her that would have gone punished out side of it. People lied about her saying she did things she did not and saying they knew her when they did not.
She got surgery to change her appearance so she could maintain jobs she changed her name so she could get jobs. The Internet came about while she was in prison. It took her a while to get the hang of it but she did. She met her husband off of the Internet.She has two sons with him. In the book she has more pictures but these are of her wedding and one of her sons when he was little hes really cute. But to see them you have to read the book so I think that you should.
By:Amy Fisher and RobbieWoliver
This book is a wonderful book that I would recommend to anyone. I loved this book because she tells you what life in prison is like and how she got there. Its a great story it is like she’s talking to specifically to you. She tells you what to look for in a troubled teen to see if they are headed toward disaster. She also say tells teens how to stay out of trouble and what to do if you are already on the fast track to trouble.
Even though you probably can’t relate to this she makes you feel like you can. Through out the book there are pictures of her in and out of prison. She tells you how she has changed and what she does after she gets out of prison. She also has multiple relationships throughout the book. Many of the people that knew her used her for money. She got multiple offers for money from T.V. networks, News papers, and more. She was lied to and cheated. In prison many things happened to her that would have gone punished out side of it. People lied about her saying she did things she did not and saying they knew her when they did not.
She got surgery to change her appearance so she could maintain jobs she changed her name so she could get jobs. The Internet came about while she was in prison. It took her a while to get the hang of it but she did. She met her husband off of the Internet.She has two sons with him. In the book she has more pictures but these are of her wedding and one of her sons when he was little hes really cute. But to see them you have to read the book so I think that you should.
May 3, 2012
I remember all of the hoopla surrounding the case, but I didn't really pay attention to it when it happened. The notoriety of the case and of her made me want to read the book. Plus, OK, I saw her on a season of Celebrity Rehab.
What really struck my about her story is that she really is remorseful. She really does live with this crime daily. She really feels the guilt. Then I have to ask myself, "How does she manage to forgive herself?" Obviously, from the stint on Celebrity Rehab, she hasn't forgiven herself. But the book shows how much she tries to live a productive life.
Some say that she acts like a victim to which I respond with "She was". She is the first one to say that she did the crime and should have been punished, but I agree with her in that a person shouldn't be punished by being raped. Back when this case was tried, sexual abuse wasn't anywhere near understood as it is now. Back then, teachers hadn't been prosecuted for sleeping with (and bearing the children of) minors. Back then, rape victims "asked for it", and back then, a troubled teen brought everything on themselves. If this case were being tried today, Amy would have still been tried and convicted, but she would have also received help. More importantly, Joey would not have become a celebrity. I hope that the good that came from this is that a light was shed on some issues and her molestation led to other molesters going to jail to pay for their crimes.
While I really found the book interesting, I thought the writing was a bit (to use her word) torturous. But then again, this is a memoir and it is in her own words. So, for the writing alone...3 stars.
What really struck my about her story is that she really is remorseful. She really does live with this crime daily. She really feels the guilt. Then I have to ask myself, "How does she manage to forgive herself?" Obviously, from the stint on Celebrity Rehab, she hasn't forgiven herself. But the book shows how much she tries to live a productive life.
Some say that she acts like a victim to which I respond with "She was". She is the first one to say that she did the crime and should have been punished, but I agree with her in that a person shouldn't be punished by being raped. Back when this case was tried, sexual abuse wasn't anywhere near understood as it is now. Back then, teachers hadn't been prosecuted for sleeping with (and bearing the children of) minors. Back then, rape victims "asked for it", and back then, a troubled teen brought everything on themselves. If this case were being tried today, Amy would have still been tried and convicted, but she would have also received help. More importantly, Joey would not have become a celebrity. I hope that the good that came from this is that a light was shed on some issues and her molestation led to other molesters going to jail to pay for their crimes.
While I really found the book interesting, I thought the writing was a bit (to use her word) torturous. But then again, this is a memoir and it is in her own words. So, for the writing alone...3 stars.
February 23, 2011
amy fisher's parenting advice involved telling you to look through your kids' bedrooms and read letters from their friends because you never know what you'll find. apparently this is to help troubled teenagers from going down the same path as her. this book is really, really bad.
November 11, 2016
I think it's interesting how some books change your perception of people or events, but some don't for one reason or another. Take Amy Fisher's book for instance. I saw it in the true crime section of the library and thought, what the hell. I was pretty familiar with the case and the story itself was intriguing. The problem is that Amy Fisher is a vile human being and while she wants you to forget about what she did, and how she's made strides to finally put the past behind her it's just not true. A Google search will tell you that for awhile she tried to live out of the spot light and piece her life back together it just wasn't meant to be. She's made a porn tape, divorced her husband and even rekindled her romance with Joey. Would someone who is trying to forget the past do that?
The book itself is interesting as it gives you a glimpse of Fisher's life in prison, and what it was like during the huge media frenzy, but the fact is that Amy is constantly blaming everyone else for what's happened to her. She was abused by her father, taken advantage of by Joey, and the list goes on. Amy takes no responsibility for anything and I swear the book should've been called Amy Fisher.....It wasn't my fault. While she may have had the best interests at heart you can smell the bullshit. It was a way for her to make a grab for cash under the pretext of wanting to help others so they don't turn out like her. After the Google search you should put the book back on the shelf and find a better role model for your kids.
Amy is a decent writer that wants you to feel sorry for her and maybe some people will, but as I read her story I just couldn't handle anymore. I'll watch the porn tape or maybe one of three three television movies that were made based upon someone's take on the story. Amy's just not a likable person and in order to have a successful book you need to feel some kind of connection to the author, but for me I just wanted to see what Amy was up to after all these years and hearing her side of the story seemed interesting. Sadly, it wasn't. I came away from the book learning less about Fisher and more about much she's suffered because of other's. It starts to grow tiresome and I wanted to throw the book across the room in frustration. This is one for fans of sub par autobiographies or true-crime and nothing more. You're not going to like Amy Fisher which isn't what she was going for when she wrote this. Whatever you do, don't buy this. Borrow a copy from the library like I did and then after you read it just forget that it even exists.
March 27, 2018
I read this book awhile ago and am trying to think of how to review this book. I knew Amy because I "did time" with her in Albion back in the late 90's. A lot of what she wrote was true about the guards (CO's) in prison. There were some that were good and others, well - not so good. They had this power trip going on and took advantage of some of the women. I have to say, Amy shot and tried to kill the wife of the woman who she was having an affair with. She became famous for that?! Went to prison and acted like she was high and mighty. Then when she got out, she writes a book, movies are made about her and what happened? She was a journalist for awhile and it was, to be honest, inspirational! It didn't last long though. Her true instincts came through and she became a porn star. Hmmm.... Her goals listed in the book are very different than what actually happened in her real life. However, sadly, Amy has issues that she never worked on and is a broken individual. I'd skip the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 16, 2014
Not sure why I read this. It is a short read that is poorly written & I am sorry I ever picked up this piece of garbage. I am the same age as Ms. Fisher & remember the case being all over the news. It is a very self-absorb memoir in which Ms. Fisher blames others for the choices she has made. I feel little sympathy for someone who (at the age of 17 3/4 years old) shot an innocent woman & mother at point blank range and left her to die then goes about her normal activities like nothing happened! Ms. Fisher only served 7 years for her crime. It does not appear that Ms. Fisher has not learned from her past. She married a much older man who looks like the man she accuses of causing her to commit the crime & is now working in the adult entertainment industry. Also, she has had a few children & Ms. Fisher feels the need to include some parenting advice in her book. Seriously?
December 21, 2013
If she knew then, I'm sure she would not have done what she did... After reading this book, I'm thinking ok so she might have learned her lesson. How? I'm still wondering if she will write a follow up, 'cause clearly she does not know. I get the whole having to make a living to support her children, but rather then take her negatives and change them to a positive she does quite the opposite to what she says in this book proving its true a leopard never changes its spots.
Read
September 4, 2022i’ve watched a doco abt amy before and really nothing could’ve prepared me for her point of view and what ACTUALLY happened - especially in prison. wow
June 21, 2024
1 star, no rounding up or down. On one hand, I am glad I only paid $5 for this. On the other, I would like my $5 back.
I am not old enough to really remember the whole court case for Amy Fisher when she shot her older lovers wife. I do remember watched the three TV movies about this case though, which lead me to this book. I had this saved on my Amazon list forever, waiting for a good price, or when I was desperate for a book, whichever came first. The price came first but, not it is being donated because I have no reason to hold onto it.
To start, the book is just badly written. In the beginning, the introduction (written by co-author Robbie Woliver) praises Amy for growing up, taking ownership over what she did, and goes on about her writing talent, enough to say that the paper Robbie works for gave Amy a job right out of school because she was such a good writer. I am not sure which one of them wrote this then because it was terrible. It was repetitive all over the place. For example, in four different spots (in the same chapter) Amy talks about her lawyer from the court appearance and how he was a bad guy. Then she would say she will discuss why he was later. You get to the later in about 5 more chapters. Although, during the initial chapter, she drops hints saying that he worked out the book deal for her story, which became the movie. All of these she did not want, her lawyer made her do them, but then also mentions that the book deal helped get her out on bond during the trial. He might not have been the best guy in the world but, you didn't sit in the county jail for months while you were dealing with the trial. Not everyone in your situation would be as fortunate to wait at home with a $2 Million dollar bond. The entire book was run on sentences, repetitive comments, and statistics included that had nothing to back them up (no references or anything).
Secondly, as someone else also mentioned on here, Amy truly believes that she is the victim in this. I think I picked this up hoping that Amy would realize how wrong she was, want to make amends to her (actual) victim, and better herself. While Amy does say once or twice that she is sorry for her crime (what else could she say; you know people bought this book just for that from her), she also made it all about her. Joey victimized her. He manipulated her. Then her next boyfriend further that by selling stories about her. The person who attend the scene of the shooting with her "made her" shott Mary Jo (while also saying that the guy just "went off"), and then testified against her in court. All of these people were against her. Then her lawyer was making money off her. She went to prison and felt that she was "tortured" by the guards. While I am not disputing that she she did not have the best time in prison, I do think "torture" is a very strong word to use. We all know that the prison system is difficult and inmates are usually not treated well, especially women by male guards, but real torture happens in other prisons (some in the United States) and those experiences do not compare to hers. She was denied food sometimes because of her "celebrity"; she was stip searched often to make sure she was not smuggling anything back from visits with her parents; she was raped by a number of male guards but, she did have her mother's support in getting at least one fired for it. Every time she mentioned "tortured" she had to remind the reader that she grew up upper middle class. The had a lyme soap in prison instead of her Dove, that was being tortured. You had to roll your eyes in many parts because it was so unbelievable. She was a prisoner with a GED and they made her work long hours in the kitchen instead of an office, which was where her intellect should have put her. Torture.
In the end, the only redeeming quality I am getting from this book is that maybe it brought some light to the prison culture from the 1990s when Amy was there. Maybe by writing about it, changes were made. Likely not but, you can hope. As for Amy herself, I do hope that in her time out of prison so far, she had learned from her mistakes and has remorse for her actions against Mary Jo.
I am not old enough to really remember the whole court case for Amy Fisher when she shot her older lovers wife. I do remember watched the three TV movies about this case though, which lead me to this book. I had this saved on my Amazon list forever, waiting for a good price, or when I was desperate for a book, whichever came first. The price came first but, not it is being donated because I have no reason to hold onto it.
To start, the book is just badly written. In the beginning, the introduction (written by co-author Robbie Woliver) praises Amy for growing up, taking ownership over what she did, and goes on about her writing talent, enough to say that the paper Robbie works for gave Amy a job right out of school because she was such a good writer. I am not sure which one of them wrote this then because it was terrible. It was repetitive all over the place. For example, in four different spots (in the same chapter) Amy talks about her lawyer from the court appearance and how he was a bad guy. Then she would say she will discuss why he was later. You get to the later in about 5 more chapters. Although, during the initial chapter, she drops hints saying that he worked out the book deal for her story, which became the movie. All of these she did not want, her lawyer made her do them, but then also mentions that the book deal helped get her out on bond during the trial. He might not have been the best guy in the world but, you didn't sit in the county jail for months while you were dealing with the trial. Not everyone in your situation would be as fortunate to wait at home with a $2 Million dollar bond. The entire book was run on sentences, repetitive comments, and statistics included that had nothing to back them up (no references or anything).
Secondly, as someone else also mentioned on here, Amy truly believes that she is the victim in this. I think I picked this up hoping that Amy would realize how wrong she was, want to make amends to her (actual) victim, and better herself. While Amy does say once or twice that she is sorry for her crime (what else could she say; you know people bought this book just for that from her), she also made it all about her. Joey victimized her. He manipulated her. Then her next boyfriend further that by selling stories about her. The person who attend the scene of the shooting with her "made her" shott Mary Jo (while also saying that the guy just "went off"), and then testified against her in court. All of these people were against her. Then her lawyer was making money off her. She went to prison and felt that she was "tortured" by the guards. While I am not disputing that she she did not have the best time in prison, I do think "torture" is a very strong word to use. We all know that the prison system is difficult and inmates are usually not treated well, especially women by male guards, but real torture happens in other prisons (some in the United States) and those experiences do not compare to hers. She was denied food sometimes because of her "celebrity"; she was stip searched often to make sure she was not smuggling anything back from visits with her parents; she was raped by a number of male guards but, she did have her mother's support in getting at least one fired for it. Every time she mentioned "tortured" she had to remind the reader that she grew up upper middle class. The had a lyme soap in prison instead of her Dove, that was being tortured. You had to roll your eyes in many parts because it was so unbelievable. She was a prisoner with a GED and they made her work long hours in the kitchen instead of an office, which was where her intellect should have put her. Torture.
In the end, the only redeeming quality I am getting from this book is that maybe it brought some light to the prison culture from the 1990s when Amy was there. Maybe by writing about it, changes were made. Likely not but, you can hope. As for Amy herself, I do hope that in her time out of prison so far, she had learned from her mistakes and has remorse for her actions against Mary Jo.
July 22, 2020
I read this so long ago. I can barely remember it, but I am glad I did. Some things I remember even now. The Long Island Lolita. She says she was just some dumb girl caught by a predator. I remember the tabloids of the day. I remember how they pounced on the story. Her explanations are plausible and make a hell of a lot more sense than did the media of the time. Remember this FACT! When an underage girl gets pregnant to an older man. (Statutory rape laws were created for but couldn't stop this fact) Her average age is 15.5, and his? 34! Sound like a certain Joey somebody?
2. She was raped like a lot of women are in prison by her guards. Her mom smuggled her panties out and DNA proved it was a specific guard. Guess what happened to him with the damming evidence? He was transferred. Justice huh?
3. Her new man (eventually divorced and she cashed in on her fame with an X rated video) looks suspiciously like a certain Joey somebody. She definitely has a type.
4. She went back to school where people discussed her case oblivious to the fact that the real Long Island Lolita was in their midst. (Spoiler, she kept quiet.)
5. My conclusion. I believe her (I think). I am surprised she is so well spoken (sort of). I was also surprised I enjoyed this book. (Thought it would be bad. Wasn't bad, but lordy not good!) I thought I'd purse it in my public Biblio, but I ended up borrowing it and read the whole thing. (I really did!) I thought I was going to read one of those woe is me, help me hold up the victim sign (she did, sort of) She was a stupid girl, a predator found her, things got beyond her control, but then like most people, she grew up. Made a few bucks off her infamy and then as I saw online much later, the previously mentioned sex tape. She has led an interesting life and I wish her well. And I hope she stays the Eff down!
2. She was raped like a lot of women are in prison by her guards. Her mom smuggled her panties out and DNA proved it was a specific guard. Guess what happened to him with the damming evidence? He was transferred. Justice huh?
3. Her new man (eventually divorced and she cashed in on her fame with an X rated video) looks suspiciously like a certain Joey somebody. She definitely has a type.
4. She went back to school where people discussed her case oblivious to the fact that the real Long Island Lolita was in their midst. (Spoiler, she kept quiet.)
5. My conclusion. I believe her (I think). I am surprised she is so well spoken (sort of). I was also surprised I enjoyed this book. (Thought it would be bad. Wasn't bad, but lordy not good!) I thought I'd purse it in my public Biblio, but I ended up borrowing it and read the whole thing. (I really did!) I thought I was going to read one of those woe is me, help me hold up the victim sign (she did, sort of) She was a stupid girl, a predator found her, things got beyond her control, but then like most people, she grew up. Made a few bucks off her infamy and then as I saw online much later, the previously mentioned sex tape. She has led an interesting life and I wish her well. And I hope she stays the Eff down!
June 11, 2020
I never re-read books; but I keep reading it over and over. Amy is an excellent writer, and this book, especially about the time is prison, presents as exceptionally honest. I know that some of the other reviews thought that she always portrays the victim mentality and that she was self-absorbed in this writing, but I just don't see that myself. Amy came from a home life where she had been terrified of a very angry person from a young age, and she kind of took things literally when the idea of shooting someone materialized. She realizes that now. Amy simply explains, in my opinion, exactly how she felt at that time in her life, and she is remorseful and wants others to think of her as a good person. On Celebrity Rehab, she obviously worries what others think of her, as good folks usually do want to be known as nice. Amy, I don't know if you will read this, but you ARE a sweet person, because heartless, bad people don't care what others think. Their goal is not to be nice, but your focus is on being a kind, wonderful person. I loved the book.
October 19, 2022
She has an interesting perspective of the corruptions within the prison system as a young girl of privilege facing intense stigmas. Even the “celebrity” in the prison was treated like a slave. After her time in prison, I feel like I would have come to a different conclusion about my life that she did. She moved on to marry a cop and teach parents how to better raise their children. In my eyes, she was a victim of assault by many men of power who have taken advantage of her. I am surprised she does not do more victims advocacy. Nevertheless, it was an interesting read with an unexpected storyline if you have heard the rumors following the Amy Fisher story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 23, 2021
As a teen in the 90s I remember hearing snippets about the Amy Fisher case in the news but I don't think it was as widely known in the UK as in the US.
So reading this 20 years later is something of an eye opener especially in the context of the me too movement and the increased recognition of victim blaming.
It is still quite uncomfortable though reading a book by a convicted violent criminal however apologetic it is.
So reading this 20 years later is something of an eye opener especially in the context of the me too movement and the increased recognition of victim blaming.
It is still quite uncomfortable though reading a book by a convicted violent criminal however apologetic it is.
March 17, 2020
How do I put this? The truth about men being dogs and a reminder on how to raise your daughters to have self love and self respect and to earn the things they want. Also....what can and probably will happen if you don't.
June 17, 2019
Loved it.
January 16, 2020
Self-absorbed bullshit.
February 3, 2020
She had a good thing going, but bad habits made her take another turn for the worse. #MotherOfTheYear
January 13, 2021
I found her story quite interesting. We all have opinions and different perspectives of how we see and read things. Therefore I say read the book and form your own.
October 6, 2021
Fascinating memoir that really underlines how terrible the framing of her story so often is
January 21, 2024
Saw the movie and wanted more details which you get from books.
Story told what she went through and her side.
I was shocked what goes on in jails to women still today.
I read this book twice, 2 yrs apart.
Story told what she went through and her side.
I was shocked what goes on in jails to women still today.
I read this book twice, 2 yrs apart.
October 13, 2016
At first I started to have respect for Amy in the beginning of the book but after page 37 the book just became a pity party, more like "boo hoo poor innocent Amy Fisher." In the book she she says: Throughout our lives we are all subject to negative influences, it's our responsibility not to fall prey to them. That made me think that she was going to own up to what she did. She did own up to it but in the next paragraph she blames others for why she shot Mary Jo Buttafuoco.
She blames Joey: saying she was under the influence of Joey implanting over & over in her head to shoot Mary Jo, ok but he didn't put the gun in her hand & force her to pull the trigger. She goes on to say people kept telling her "Its not your fault, it's Joey's fault." Amy thinks "Well ya know what? Joey isn't sitting in here in prison next to me. The prosecutors believe I don't belong here, so why am I here?" Duh. You're there because you shot Mary Jo in the face! Although her version of the story is she "beat" Mary Jo across the head with the gun & the gun went off. Why bring a gun in the first place if you weren't planning to shoot her? If Amy was planning to beat up Mary Jo up why not just do that? She brought that gun to shoot Mary Jo period.
Her parents & the environment: she blames her parents for giving her too much freedom, moving to another city & not punishing her when she did wrong. Saying her mom bought her popularity by buying her the things that the other rich kids had in her new school. But she acted ungrateful to her mom saying "I would have never been like that if I hadn't of moved from my middle class neighborhood." Her mother was a workaholic & her father stayed in his room. Saying "I just went wild. My parents gave me too much freedom."
Her father: she blames him for beating on her saying if her father was never in her life, her life would be so much different.
Joey: she blames Joey again for her getting caught up in the escorting business. How is it that Joey prostituted Amyfor money when in Mary Jo's book she said Joey had enough money to buy her her own apartment & pay her rent every month when she moved out?
I did feel sorry for Amy once the book got to the part where she went prison & county jail. She described it as a horrible place saying "You line up with about 100 women, they completely strip you, hose you down with cold water, give you a bar of lye soap & disinfectant shampoo to wash the license out of your hair, then give you a thin robe to wrap around you all while watching your every move." She says no one messed with her in prison but 3 different prison guards raped & no one believed her because the media branded her as "The Long Island Lolita." Everyone thought she seduced the guards. She also mentioned that she met 3 famous women in prison, Laurie Kellogg, Carolyn Warmus & Pamela Smart. After being released her life continued to be a nightmare, every time she went to apply for a job she worked there no longer than 2 weeks a person came up to her saying "I know you're Amy Fisher, you're fired." Even when she dyed her hair & changed her name, still they recognized her & fired her. She then goes on to talk about her mother, how she stood by her side bit also has trouble finding a job because she was Amy Fisher's mother. After that she found her husband online & they lived happily ever after. If I can remember I thought Amy & Joey got back together to give their love a "second chance" & wasn't Amy in the adult industry? Hmmmm.....no mention of that in the book. Anyway Mary Jo's book was better because she didn't hold anything back, Amy only mentioned what happened between her & Joey for a few pages then went on to tell about her prison life. They've made 3 movies out of this case but Amy says all 3 of them are lies. I guess there will always be 4 sides to this story, Amy's, Joey's, Mary Jo's and the truth.
She blames Joey: saying she was under the influence of Joey implanting over & over in her head to shoot Mary Jo, ok but he didn't put the gun in her hand & force her to pull the trigger. She goes on to say people kept telling her "Its not your fault, it's Joey's fault." Amy thinks "Well ya know what? Joey isn't sitting in here in prison next to me. The prosecutors believe I don't belong here, so why am I here?" Duh. You're there because you shot Mary Jo in the face! Although her version of the story is she "beat" Mary Jo across the head with the gun & the gun went off. Why bring a gun in the first place if you weren't planning to shoot her? If Amy was planning to beat up Mary Jo up why not just do that? She brought that gun to shoot Mary Jo period.
Her parents & the environment: she blames her parents for giving her too much freedom, moving to another city & not punishing her when she did wrong. Saying her mom bought her popularity by buying her the things that the other rich kids had in her new school. But she acted ungrateful to her mom saying "I would have never been like that if I hadn't of moved from my middle class neighborhood." Her mother was a workaholic & her father stayed in his room. Saying "I just went wild. My parents gave me too much freedom."
Her father: she blames him for beating on her saying if her father was never in her life, her life would be so much different.
Joey: she blames Joey again for her getting caught up in the escorting business. How is it that Joey prostituted Amyfor money when in Mary Jo's book she said Joey had enough money to buy her her own apartment & pay her rent every month when she moved out?
I did feel sorry for Amy once the book got to the part where she went prison & county jail. She described it as a horrible place saying "You line up with about 100 women, they completely strip you, hose you down with cold water, give you a bar of lye soap & disinfectant shampoo to wash the license out of your hair, then give you a thin robe to wrap around you all while watching your every move." She says no one messed with her in prison but 3 different prison guards raped & no one believed her because the media branded her as "The Long Island Lolita." Everyone thought she seduced the guards. She also mentioned that she met 3 famous women in prison, Laurie Kellogg, Carolyn Warmus & Pamela Smart. After being released her life continued to be a nightmare, every time she went to apply for a job she worked there no longer than 2 weeks a person came up to her saying "I know you're Amy Fisher, you're fired." Even when she dyed her hair & changed her name, still they recognized her & fired her. She then goes on to talk about her mother, how she stood by her side bit also has trouble finding a job because she was Amy Fisher's mother. After that she found her husband online & they lived happily ever after. If I can remember I thought Amy & Joey got back together to give their love a "second chance" & wasn't Amy in the adult industry? Hmmmm.....no mention of that in the book. Anyway Mary Jo's book was better because she didn't hold anything back, Amy only mentioned what happened between her & Joey for a few pages then went on to tell about her prison life. They've made 3 movies out of this case but Amy says all 3 of them are lies. I guess there will always be 4 sides to this story, Amy's, Joey's, Mary Jo's and the truth.
February 18, 2013
Call it morbid curiosity, but when I saw this book at the library I really wanted to read it. I was pretty young when the whole Amy Fisher story happened, but I know a lot about it. I also caught several episodes of Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew recently when Amy appeared on it, and I was shocked to see she was now an unrecognizable porn star.
So when I saw this book, I wanted to know more about her life from her own words.
This was actually a pretty interesting read. That's not to say I believed everything she was saying, but it was interesting nonetheless. I feel like she kept insisting how sorry she was to look good, as it just didn't ring true to me. She doesn't elaborate much on her relationship with Joey, but her time in prison was horrific to read about. (It also takes up the majority of the book)
This book was published in 2004, and ended when she was 30, "happily" married (to a Joey lookalike, CREEPY) and pregnant with one son born already. She claims to have never drank or done drugs, and says her peaceful and happy life is her best revenge on Joey.
Of course, 8 years later she appears on the aforementioned TV show with a drinking problem, alcohol being the only thing that numbs her enough to force her to do the porn her husband pushed her into. It's actually kind of sad that she down spiraled so quickly, but it's not surprising.
So when I saw this book, I wanted to know more about her life from her own words.
This was actually a pretty interesting read. That's not to say I believed everything she was saying, but it was interesting nonetheless. I feel like she kept insisting how sorry she was to look good, as it just didn't ring true to me. She doesn't elaborate much on her relationship with Joey, but her time in prison was horrific to read about. (It also takes up the majority of the book)
This book was published in 2004, and ended when she was 30, "happily" married (to a Joey lookalike, CREEPY) and pregnant with one son born already. She claims to have never drank or done drugs, and says her peaceful and happy life is her best revenge on Joey.
Of course, 8 years later she appears on the aforementioned TV show with a drinking problem, alcohol being the only thing that numbs her enough to force her to do the porn her husband pushed her into. It's actually kind of sad that she down spiraled so quickly, but it's not surprising.
May 5, 2008
Buku yang mengungkapkan kisah nyata yang dialami Amy Fisher, dengan bantuan seorang rekannya Robbie Woliver akhirnya dia mempublikasikan buku ini.
Buku yang mengisahkan tentang kasus penembakan yang dilakukannya atas seorang wanita hamil (Mary Joe).
Kisah yang terjadi ketika dia masih berusia 15 tahun, naif, kurangnya perhatian dan keluguan yang akhirnya mempertemukannya dengan lelaki pasaran bernama Joey Buttafuoco, lelaki yang telah beristri dan 18 tahun jauh lebih tua dari Amy.
Joey adalah sosok lelaki yang hidupnya di seputar dunia kriminalitas, seseorang yang biasa dijuluki Mobster Wannabe, telah merasuki pikiran banyak orang termasuk Amy sendiri dengan membanggakan reputasi yang diraihnya di dunia kriminal dan mengakukan diri sebagai seorang mafia.
Amy yang terlahir dari keluarga baik-baik di lingkungan kelas atas namun kurang mendapatkan perhatian dan kasih sayang ini pada akhirnya tergoda oleh imej-imej yang disuguhkan oleh Joey, dia jatuh cinta pada lelaki beristri ini dan akhirnya dengan keluguan dan kepolosan, terbujuk untuk melakukan apa yang diminta oleh Joey, termasuk membunuh Mary Jo, istri dari kekasihnya itu sendiri.
Buku yang mengisahkan tentang kasus penembakan yang dilakukannya atas seorang wanita hamil (Mary Joe).
Kisah yang terjadi ketika dia masih berusia 15 tahun, naif, kurangnya perhatian dan keluguan yang akhirnya mempertemukannya dengan lelaki pasaran bernama Joey Buttafuoco, lelaki yang telah beristri dan 18 tahun jauh lebih tua dari Amy.
Joey adalah sosok lelaki yang hidupnya di seputar dunia kriminalitas, seseorang yang biasa dijuluki Mobster Wannabe, telah merasuki pikiran banyak orang termasuk Amy sendiri dengan membanggakan reputasi yang diraihnya di dunia kriminal dan mengakukan diri sebagai seorang mafia.
Amy yang terlahir dari keluarga baik-baik di lingkungan kelas atas namun kurang mendapatkan perhatian dan kasih sayang ini pada akhirnya tergoda oleh imej-imej yang disuguhkan oleh Joey, dia jatuh cinta pada lelaki beristri ini dan akhirnya dengan keluguan dan kepolosan, terbujuk untuk melakukan apa yang diminta oleh Joey, termasuk membunuh Mary Jo, istri dari kekasihnya itu sendiri.
July 29, 2013
Written in a very down to earth manner, it really shed light into this story. This was a brutally honest account that never looked to make any excuses or place all blame elsewhere, despite the fact that blame could be placed not only on Joey but on Amy's parents as well. It put things into a whole new perspective for me and reminded me just how disgusting the media is. Just as they have been in their treatment of other stories and cases such as the recent Travon Martin case. It sounds incredibly ignorant of me but it opened my eyes to the fact that Joey was the real criminal. He was a pedophile. And yet he was glorified in his own sick way and became a B-list celebrity.
Of course since she wrote this book, she's since become a stripper and porn actress which is really a shame after reading this book and it sounding like she had her shit together. So on this recent behavior, I've got nothin'!
Of course since she wrote this book, she's since become a stripper and porn actress which is really a shame after reading this book and it sounding like she had her shit together. So on this recent behavior, I've got nothin'!
Want to read
May 8, 2017I read this book in about a day. Amy seemed to be very remorseful in this book and having moved on from shooting Mary Jo Buttafuoco in the face after having an affair with her husband Joey. But after I read the book I googled her and I think she has turned into a total tramp. Her whole life has been her allowing others to use her and she hasn't seemed to learn anything from her past mistakes. "She currently makes a living operating a pornographic webcam out of her bedroom". SICK
July 24, 2015
Well, I thought it was good...and half way through I told my husband it was a good book, and then he informed me she's now a porn star. So, I'm thinking this is a fictional story written by Robbie Woliver with a good photpgrapher to make a little money. So is this REALLY about rehabilitation???? Maybe the next book will be about falling off the wagon???? Won't waste my time finishing it.
April 25, 2008
Didn't even finish this book b/c it was so horrible! She talks like she's the victim for EVERYTHING that happened to her... I agree she was to some degree but come on! - I just couldn't stand it anymore!
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