Joey Buttafuoco Net Worth, Relationships, Age/Birthdate & Birthday

Joey Buttafuoco — a Notorious Name, with a Quiet Present

The Spark That Changed Everything

Born March 11, 1956 (his birthday), Joey Buttafuoco seemed — on paper — to embody the American small-town success story: a working man running an auto-body shop on Long Island, New York.

But his life took a sharp turn in the early 1990s, when a seemingly mundane car repair sparked a scandal that would capture the nation’s attention. In 1991, Buttafuoco met a teenager, Amy Fisher, who brought her car to his shop — and later alleged that he’d coerced her into a sexual relationship. At the time, he was married with two children.

In May 1992, the drama exploded: Fisher — calling herself under an alias — confronted Buttafuoco’s then-wife, Mary Jo Buttafuoco, and shot her in the face. The brutal act, and the lurid details of the affair, made global headlines.

As the media frenzy intensified, Buttafuoco’s life was irreversibly altered.

When Infamy Becomes a Full-Time Job

The aftermath of the shooting saw Fisher prosecuted for attempted murder and Buttafuoco indicted on multiple counts of statutory rape and endangering the welfare of a child. He pled guilty to one count of statutory rape, admitting he had sex with Fisher while she was still a minor. He was sentenced to six months in jail — ultimately serving just over four months.

Far from fading into obscurity, Buttafuoco embraced the spotlight. In the years that followed, he appeared on talk shows, reality-style TV, and even boxing promotions. His name became shorthand for scandal in pop-culture references, parodied by late-night hosts and referenced by celebrities.

He also had repeated legal troubles: a 1995 plea for solicitation of prostitution (probation), a 2004 conviction for auto-insurance fraud (one-year jail sentence plus a lifetime ban from the California auto-body industry), and a 2005 run-in over illegal possession of ammunition as a felon.

Even today, the story of Joey Buttafuoco remains a cautionary tale — one about fame, infamy, and the long arc of consequences.

What Joey Buttafuoco Is Worth — And What That Says

According to one widely cited public source, Buttafuoco’s net worth is estimated at USD $20,000.

Given his high-profile past — media appearances, crime-drama adaptations, and public fascination — that number might surprise many. It suggests that infamy, even when amplified by tabloid mania, does not always translate into financial fortune. Indeed, public interest appears not to have translated into sustained wealth for Buttafuoco, and ongoing legal restrictions (such as the ban on working in the auto-body industry in California) would have limited his ability to rebuild a traditional business.

This modest net worth also underscores a sobering reality: notoriety is often fleeting, and legacy — in financial terms — can be fragile.

Relationships, Family, and Life After the Media Storm

By the time of the 1992 scandal, Joey and Mary Jo Buttafuoco had been married for around 15 years and had two children together.

Despite the shooting, Mary Jo remained with him for over a decade post-incident. The couple moved to California shortly after his release from jail in 1994. 

However, the bond did not last forever. Mary Jo filed for divorce in February 2003. 

In 2005, Joey Buttafuoco remarried. His second wife is listed as Evanka Franjko. 

Beyond that, few reliable reports show any stable public relationships or attempts at rehabilitation of public character. Media focuses, instead, continue to orbit the shock and sensationalism of the past.

Even their children, notably their daughter Jessie Buttafuoco, have spoken about how the notoriety shaped — and disrupted — their childhoods. She described growing up with the trauma of her mother’s shooting and added that the ongoing media exposure hindered her ability to find stability and normalcy.

Why Joey Buttafuoco’s Story Still Resonates

In an age of cancel culture and ever-present media scrutiny, Joey Buttafuoco’s life serves as a dramatic example of how choices — especially abusive and criminal ones — can generate a legacy beyond the statute of limitations. His age/birthdate and birthday are often included in tabloid timelines, but the deeper story is about consequences: moral, legal, personal.

His surprisingly low net worth shows that infamy does not guarantee fortune. His repeated brushes with the law highlight a pattern of destructive behavior. The fragmentation of his personal relationships — divorce, public estrangement — underscore the human cost of actions once played out in newspapers, late-night jokes, and TV screens.

Ultimately, Joey Buttafuoco remains a cautionary emblem of scandal — a man whose name triggered tabloid mania and cultural references, but whose real-world legacy seems defined by loss, legal prohibition, and social exile.

Why This Profile Matters

• It demonstrates how media exposure and criminal notoriety don’t guarantee financial security or redemption.

• It underscores the long-term repercussions of illicit relationships and criminal actions — not just for individuals, but for families and children.

• It serves as a reference point for how public perception can transform a private man into a cultural symbol — and how that transformation doesn’t erase consequences.