Son Of ‘Long Island Lolita’ Charged With Animal Cruelty In Possible Microwave Killing Of Cat: PD

BROWARD COUNTY, FL — The son of “Long Island Lolita” Amy Fisher is facing aggravated animal cruelty charges in Florida this week after his cat died during an unnatural heat exposure consistent with microwave radiation, police said.

In recent years, CBS News reported that the Merrick-native Fisher had moved back to Long Island. That move came more than two decades after a headline-making incident in 1992 that saw her shoot then-Massapequa resident Mary Jo Buttafuoco in the face.

This week, Fisher's son is facing animal cruelty charges in Florida.

Broward County Police said in an affidavit of probable cause that 25-year-old Brett Anthony Bellera was living with his girlfriend in Fort Lauderdale, FL on Dec. 17, 2024, when police were called to their home with reports of an animal care complaint.

According to police, Bellera and his girlfriend, Jennifer Armenti, had been taking care of a white male tabby cat named Reaper at the property. Police said Armenti had told a friend two days earlier that Reaper had been found dead, and that the friend subsequently called Broward County animal care.

Upon arrival, police found Reaper dead on the couple’s back patio in a plastic laundry basket, police said. According to an affidavit of probable cause, there was a substantial amount of blood pooled in the bottom of the basket and the cat was in a stiff, unnatural position “not conducive with rigor mortis/natural death.”

After being read his Miranda rights, Bellera told police he and Armenti had gone to bed on the night of Dec. 14 and awoken the following day to find Reaper dead, police said. According to police records, Bellera said, “it was possible Reaper had ingested cleaning products and died of accidental poisoning.”

Reaper was then handed over to the ASPCA for examination, police said.

One month later, ASPCA veterinarian Dr. Corrine Thompson’s forensic necropsy determined that Reaper’s death had been the result of unnatural heat exposure, through either microwave radiation, exposure to hot water vapor or hot water submersion. Microscopic tissue analysis from Reaper’s body “indicated that the injury was not immediately fatal, causing excessive and repeated infliction of severe pain and suffering prior to Reaper’s death,” police wrote.

Fisher became the subject of front-page news in 1992 after she confronted Buttafuoco to tell her she had been having an affair with her husband, Joey. Fisher was 17 at the time; the confrontation escalated and ended with Fisher shooting Buttafuoco in the face, leaving her deaf in one ear and paralyzed on one side of her face.

In the aftermath of the shooting, Fisher became known as the “Long Island Lolita,” and served almost seven years in jail after being pleading guilty to a charge of first-degree assault in connection with the shooting, per CNN. According to CNN, Joey Buttafuoco served six months in jail for statutory rape after the affair.

Mary Jo Buttafuoco could not be reached for comment Tuesday. Bellera's Fort Lauderdale-based attorney, Joshua Rydell, was also unavailable for comment Tuesday.