Terri LaMarti’s 39th birthday wish was seemingly coming true when her husband, Ned, gifted her a liposuction procedure. Like many mothers of four, LaMarti struggled to lose her postpartum weight, and despite her efforts, a persistent “belly” remained. Seeking a solution, she consulted with cosmetic surgeon Dr. Anthony Pignataro at his West Seneca, New York clinic. During their initial meeting, LaMarti felt instantly at ease with the charismatic Doctor Pignataro.
“I had absolutely no misgivings or doubts about Dr. Pignataro. He just put me totally at ease,” LaMarti recounted in the Oxygen docuseries, “License to Kill.”
Excited and trusting, LaMarti arrived for her liposuction appointment in June 1997. However, her dream quickly turned into a nightmare, revealing the horrifying reality behind doctor pignataro‘s practice.
A Basement Surgery and Agonizing Pain Under Doctor Pignataro’s Care
What followed was an experience far removed from the promised “dream.” After being given a cocktail of pills, LaMarti was led to the “surgery center” – a stark basement, two flights below the office. This was a far cry from the sterile operating room she had envisioned when entrusting her health to doctor pignataro.
“They plopped me down in this chair. I was trying to tell them something’s wrong here, I don’t want to do this. I had no control over anything,” she explained, highlighting the alarming lack of professionalism and patient care under doctor pignataro’s supervision.
Her last memory before losing consciousness was moaning in pain. She awoke hours later, at 5 p.m., fully dressed in the waiting room. Upon arriving home, the extent of the botched liposuction became horrifyingly clear. Blood poured down her legs, requiring her daughter to use a mop to clean it up.
Examining her abdomen, LaMarti was confronted with a gruesome sight: approximately 18 to 22 staples haphazardly placed across her stomach, failing to close the surgical incisions properly.
“There were gaping wounds, like the edges weren’t together, like you could stick a man’s finger in these holes,” she vividly recalled, detailing the shocking incompetence of the procedure performed by doctor pignataro.
Concerned and alarmed, the LaMartis contacted doctor pignataro. Dismissing their worries, he claimed the blood was merely excess surgical fluid and assured them there was no cause for concern. He instructed LaMarti to rest, promising to check in the next day.
However, the night brought no relief. LaMarti’s pain intensified, forcing them to rush to the hospital emergency room. Doctors quickly discovered the devastating truth: during the liposuction, her intestine had been accidentally nicked. LaMarti was battling a severe infection. Even more alarmingly, the sutures applied by doctor pignataro had completely cut off blood supply to her abdomen, causing tissue to rot.
LaMarti was left with a gaping, four-inch hole, half an inch deep, and endured days of hospitalization, medication, and IV treatments to recover from the disastrous surgery performed by doctor pignataro.
Terri LaMarti, a survivor of a severely botched liposuction procedure by Doctor Pignataro, pictured with her family.
Adding insult to injury, while still hospitalized, LaMarti was awakened at 2:30 a.m. by doctor pignataro himself. He barged in, chart in hand, screaming at her to leave the hospital. Nurses intervened and removed him, further highlighting his unprofessional and erratic behavior. LaMarti was discharged days later, physically and emotionally scarred by her experience with doctor pignataro.
Sarah Smith’s Tragic Death and the Unraveling of Doctor Pignataro’s Practice
While LaMarti survived her ordeal, the true extent of doctor pignataro‘s dangerous practices was tragically revealed just months later. In August 1997, emergency responders were called to his clinic for a patient in distress. The victim was 26-year-old Sarah Smith, a mother of two, undergoing a breast augmentation. She had gone into cardiac and respiratory arrest during the procedure.
Upon arrival, paramedics found doctor pignataro frantically attempting to create an airway for Smith – using a coat hanger. Despite paramedics successfully reviving Smith with CPR, she slipped into a coma en route to the emergency room and subsequently died.
The horrific scene prompted the fire department to report doctor pignataro to the local police, initiating an investigation into Smith’s death. Doctor pignataro initially claimed that Smith had simply stopped breathing during a routine trans-umbilical breast augmentation. He stated he performed CPR and administered lidocaine, and when that failed, he instructed his staff to call 911. He abruptly ended the interview, citing a patient waiting for him.
The following day, Dr. Paul Dippert, LaMarti’s treating physician at the hospital, called her with devastating news. “He said, ‘Do you know what a lucky woman you are? … That son of a bitch just killed a 26-year-old mother of two,’” LaMarti recalled, emphasizing the gravity of doctor pignataro‘s actions.
The West Seneca Police Department officially launched an investigation into Sarah Smith’s death. The autopsy report confirmed the worst: Smith died from asphyxia due to improper ventilation during anesthesia.
Erie County District Attorney John Flynn explained, “For layman’s terms, the oxygen levels got so low that it basically caused her heart to stop.”
A toxicology report further revealed that doctor pignataro had administered a dangerously high dosage of a cocktail of sodium pentothal and Versed, drugs used to relax patients during surgery. This excessive dose caused Smith to stop breathing independently.
The New York State Department of Health immediately suspended doctor pignataro’s medical license, and the Erie County District Attorney’s Office took over the criminal investigation.
Incompetence and Deception: Unmasking Doctor Pignataro
Interviews with doctor pignataro’s office staff painted a disturbing picture of his operating procedures. Present during Smith’s surgery were his wife, Debbie Pignataro, acting as an office assistant; a licensed nurse with a mere six months of non-surgical experience; and a 17-year-old high school intern.
The nurse and intern revealed that Smith awoke mid-procedure, saying “ouch,” and was given more medication to sedate her further. Debbie Pignataro then noticed Smith’s oxygen levels plummeting. Instead of halting the surgery, doctor pignataro continued. It was only after Debbie observed Smith’s lips turning blue that he finally stopped, but by then, Smith had stopped breathing and suffered cardiac arrest.
Delving into doctor pignataro’s background revealed a history of questionable credentials and a penchant for superficiality. While his father was a respected Buffalo doctor, Ralph Pignataro, the younger doctor pignataro struggled to gain admission to reputable US medical schools. He ultimately obtained his degree from an institute in Puerto Rico.
Despite being trained as an ENT doctor, he established a cosmetic surgery practice in West Seneca, cultivating a persona of a bargain cosmetic surgeon, attracting patients with low prices for procedures like tummy tucks, breast augmentations, and nose jobs. He flaunted a red Lamborghini and boasted about “exclusive patents,” including snap-on hairpieces implanted into the skull.
However, investigators discovered a stark contrast between doctor pignataro’s flashy image and his actual competence. District Attorney Flynn stated, “All the individuals who were spoken to in this investigation who were with him in the residency program all said he was a disaster … The more we’re looking at Dr. Pignataro, the worse we’re starting to feel.”
Fueled by a desire to prevent further harm, Terri LaMarti bravely shared her story publicly. Her actions prompted numerous other women to come forward with their own horrifying experiences under doctor pignataro’s care. Including Sarah Smith, a staggering 13 women had formal complaints against him.
A search warrant for doctor pignataro’s clinic revealed the basement operating room was indeed improperly equipped and unsuitable for surgical procedures, confirming the dangerous environment he subjected his patients to.
Justice, Jail Time, and a New Identity for Doctor Pignataro
The Erie County District Attorney’s Office presented the case to a grand jury. In January 1998, doctor pignataro was arrested and charged with second-degree manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, second-degree assault, reckless endangerment, and falsifying business records.
In August 1998, he accepted a plea deal, pleading guilty to criminally negligent homicide. He was sentenced to a mere six months in jail and five years of probation, a sentence that was widely considered lenient, as reported by The New York Times in 1998. As part of the plea agreement, doctor pignataro was prohibited from practicing medicine.
Released from jail in December 1998, doctor pignataro’s story took an even darker turn just four months later. His wife, Debbie, began experiencing alarming symptoms: tingling and numbness in her limbs and difficulty walking. Doctors were baffled until a toxicology screen revealed high levels of arsenic in her system.
A criminal investigation into Debbie’s poisoning was launched. Hair samples revealed chronic arsenic exposure dating back to May 1999. Debbie recalled doctor pignataro making her soup around that time, after which she fell ill, raising suspicions of deliberate poisoning.
A search of their home uncovered ant killer, Terro, containing arsenic, and evidence of doctor pignataro purchasing Terro with his credit card.
During police interviews, when asked if he had attempted to murder his wife, doctor pignataro chillingly responded, “Well, I can see how someone could think that.”
Doctor Anthony Pignataro, at the center, escorted by Erie County Sheriff’s Deputies after pleading not guilty to attempted murder and assault charges in Buffalo, N.Y.
A jailhouse informant then provided crucial testimony. Doctor pignataro had allegedly confided in the informant about a girlfriend and a life insurance policy on Debbie. He reportedly stated that collecting the insurance money would allow him to start a new life with his girlfriend. The informant also claimed doctor pignataro had inquired about poisoning methods. Phone records corroborated their contact after doctor pignataro’s release from jail.
Doctor pignataro was rearrested for attempted murder and first-degree assault. In late 2000, he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of attempted assault and received a 15-year prison sentence. Debbie divorced him, and a protective order was issued, barring him from contacting their children.
In December 2013, doctor pignataro was released from prison and relocated to Palm Beach, Florida. In 2019, he legally changed his name to Anthony Haute and began advertising his services on an elder care provider website.
Terri LaMarti expressed her deep concern: “With Dr. Pignataro being out there somewhere in the world with nobody keeping an eye on him, I guarantee you he’ll hurt somebody else.”
District Attorney Flynn has since alerted the West Palm Beach Police Department about doctor pignataro, labeling him “one of the most dangerous individuals” he has encountered in his career. While legally permitted to work in elder care as long as he doesn’t practice medicine, the potential for harm remains a serious concern.
Debbie Pignataro suffers lasting consequences from the arsenic poisoning, enduring reduced sensation and mobility in her limbs.
The story of doctor pignataro serves as a chilling cautionary tale about the dangers of unqualified practitioners and the devastating consequences of medical negligence and criminal intent. For a more in-depth account of the life and crimes of doctor anthony pignataro, watch “License to Kill” on Oxygen.com.
