Getty Amy Fisher and Lou Bellera.
Amy Fisher’s life had a series of strange twists and turns since she shot Mary Jo Buttafouco in the face at age 17 in 1992. Among those surprising details was her marriage to a former NYPD cop, Lou Bellera.
Bellera was 24 years older than Fisher. The couple had three children and divorced in 2015, according to the New York Post. She blames Bellera for her work in the porn industry, an allegation which Bellera called “absolutely mind-boggling.”
The story was reexamined on an encore episode of ABC 20/20, “Growing Up Buttafuoco,” which Friday, September 4, 2020 at 9 p.m. EST. Tonight, Amy Fisher: Kill For Me airs on Reelz at 9 p.m. Eastern time Thursday, July 15, 2021.
Bellera’s marriage to Fisher also granted him some time in the spotlight. He made an appearance on VH1 in 2012. In that same year, he boxed his then-wife’s former lover, Joey Buttafuoco. In 2019, Bellera is 68 years old. He faded from the limelight after his divorce from Fisher.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Lou Bellera Was an NYPD Police Officer & Later Became a Wedding Videographer
Lou Bellera was a former police officer with the New York Police Department who later became a wedding videographer.
A LinkedIn page lists Louis Bellera as a wedding videographer in Boca Raton, Florida.
“Professional Wedding and Sports Videographer with over 30 years experience filming weddings, sporting events such as Lacrosse, Rugby, etc., dance recitals and other events at every level of responsibility,” his LinkedIn page says. “Filmed at all the major NYC hotels, such as the Waldorf Astoria, The Plaza, The Hotel Pierre, etc. and surrounding tri state area. Specializes at black tie events, Weddings, Bar Mitzvahs, Sephardic, Greek Orthodox, Jewish Orthodox, Christian, Persian, all events big or small. Currently situated in Boca Raton Florida, but available to travel.”
Bellera worked as a patrolman for NYPD beginning in 1971, according to his LinkedIn page. He graduated from the NYPD Police Academy in 1968 as a police trainee.
He attended the John Jay College at the City University of New York from 1975 to 1976 for law and psychology, his page said.
2. Lou Bellera & Amy Fisher Had Children & They Divorced in 2015
Lou Bellera filed for divorce from Amy Fisher in 2015 after 12 years of marriage, according to the Daily Mail. At the time, they were living in Palm Beach, Florida. The divorce was a quick process. Fisher was served papers in April and the divorce was finalized in May.
The couple also separated in the summer of 2007 with plans to divorce, according to a 2008 Daily News article. They reconciled by the time the article was published on January 4 of that year.
Bellera, Fisher and her three children moved to Florida in 2012 after Fisher announced she was leaving the porn industry. They bought a $575,000 house in Wellington, in Palm Beach County. She remained there after Bellera moved out and performed shows on a webcam in her bedroom, according to the Daily News.
In 2017, she moved back to Long Island, New York, saying she was stalked and harassed in Florida. Her children faced ridicule and bullying in school because of her reputation, she told the New York Post in 2017. She moved with her children to New York, promising a fresh start.
3. Amy Fisher Blamed Lou Bellera for her Involvement in Porn, Which He Denies
“@RealAmyFisher: Cute?? http://t.co/KBQE4bmDq0“. You are beautiful Amy. Love ya!
Amy Fisher has repeatedly blamed Lou Bellera for her work in the porn industry, claiming he sold a sex tape without permission during a separation in 2007. Bellera has repeatedly denied that allegation. The intimate video showed Fisher and Bellera having sex in their bedroom, throughout the house and in their yard.
The video called “Amy Fisher Caught on Tape,” was distributed to Red Light District in November 2007, according to New York Daily News. At the time, a hyped “date” between Joey Buttafuoco and Amy Fisher was being promoted. The Daily News claimed Bellera sold the video out of spite during their split.
“I want to make it crystal clear today that I did not, I repeat, did not, sell a sex tape of myself for money,” Fisher said, according to the news outlet. “The distributor of this tape is earning a lot of money off it. I have earned nothing but embarrassment.”
However, she did reach a six-figure lump sum settlement with Red Light District.
Fisher continued to claim Bellera used the tape to make money during a 2017 interview with the New York Post. She claimed she never wanted to be involved in the porn industry.
“I was never happy doing it, and he would just sit there and watch, even while I cried. He likes money and he likes attention,” she said. “Him and Joey were the same that way … They say you always pick the same person — scumbags.”
Bellera called her allegations “absolutely mind-boggling,” according to the same article. He said Fisher orchestrated the release of the sex tape with her agent, and going into porn was “all her idea.”
“I was just a regular Joe when I got involved with that,” he said. “I never made a dime out of it … I was a silent, suffering person in this whole thing.”
4. Lou Bellera Made TV Appearances & Boxed Joey Buttafuoco in 2012 for Charity
In 2012, Lou Bellera met Joey Buttafocco in a boxing ring to fight the man who slept with his wife when he was 34 and she was 16. But Bellera told the Huffington Post at the time there was nothing personal about it.
“People can spin it any way they want, but this is an event for charity,” Bellera said.” I’ll turn 61 right before the fight and feel I am in top physical condition. This is about living life and meeting another challenge.”
The event, “Celebrity Fight Night,” pitted subjects of scandals against one another and raised funds for FilmOn Charitable Trust, a foundation that distributes to various charities for children.
“Look, my wife has paid the price for what happened and Mary Jo has forgiven her,” Bellera said. “Everyone, including Joey, deserves a second chance.”
Buttafuoco also told the news outlet he had let go of hard feelings.
“For a long time, I had a problem letting things go regarding what happened, but therapy helped,” Buttafuoco said. “There’s no hostility anymore. I learned to let it go 5 to 8 years ago.”
He also appeared with Fisher on VH1 Celebrity Rehab in 2012.
5. Bellera Bragged About his Physical Fitness in 2012 at Age 60
Anyway, here’s a pic http://t.co/l1KN7War
Lou Bellera wasn’t shy about his physical fitness, even at age 60, leading up to his boxing match with Joey Buttafuoco in 2012. The fight was part of a charity event, Celebrity Fight Night, in which celebrities involved in scandals sparred against one another.
While Bellera told the Huffington Post he had no animosity toward Buttafuoco, he did not shy away from comparing his physique.
“I’m lifting weights and doing aerobic exercises for stamina, flexibility and mobility,” Bellera said. “I’m 6 years older than him and he’s 70 pounds heavier.”
The fight was an opportunity to challenge himself, he told the news outlet. Bellera is now 68 years old.
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