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00:00:00 – 00:16:22
In a recent episode of "Nails in the Coffin," host Leanne delves into the life and crimes of Anthony Pignataro, a disgraced plastic surgeon whose professional and personal misconduct led to devastating consequences. Anthony, despite a charismatic presence with patients, was deemed narcissistic and incompetent by his peers. His unauthorized medical practices culminated in the tragic case of Sarah Smith, who died due to his malpractice, and the poisoning of his loyal wife, Debbie, who survived despite severe health issues. Anthony served a short jail term for malpractice and a longer sentence for the poisoning but continued his dubious activities post-release. Leanne wraps up by discussing Ann Rule's true crime writings, emphasizing the importance of thorough research before undergoing plastic surgery, and encourages viewer engagement.
00:00:00
In this segment, Leanne, the host of “Nails in the Coffin,” returns after a break to discuss true crime, ghost stories, and urban legends while doing nail designs. She introduces the survival story of Debbie Pignataro. Debbie was born in a poor family in 1957 in Williamsville, New York, and met Anthony Pignataro, a pharmacy tech, in 1978. Despite Anthony’s struggles to get into a medical school in the U.S. and his enrollment in a Puerto Rican medical school, Debbie stayed devoted. They married in 1985, but Debbie soon discovered Anthony’s infidelity through tape recordings and an anonymous tip, leading to their marital turmoil. Despite these setbacks and advice from her father to forgive, she continued working as a pharmacy tech while Anthony completed his residency.
00:03:00
In this part of the video, Anthony, despite being well-received by patients, faced criticism from his medical peers and supervisors who considered him narcissistic and a potential danger. Frustrated by his hair loss at 23, he invented and successfully transplanted hair plugs, boosting his confidence but also his self-absorption. His poor evaluations led him to frequently change residencies and he was labeled as arrogant with poor judgment and knowledge gaps. Eventually, Anthony’s family built a duplex in West Seneca, New York, where he established a plastic surgery operating room in the basement of his office building, bypassing proper certification and exams. He hired his pharmacy tech wife, a practical nurse, and a high school intern to assist in his dubious practices, avoiding anesthesiologists due to cost, and sedating patients with pills and intravenous drugs. Despite running a successful business, there were occasional surgeries gone wrong, such as a tummy tuck for a patient named Terry Lombardi.
00:06:00
In this part of the video, it discusses a situation where Anthony dismisses a patient’s complaints about heavy bleeding after surgery, deeming it normal. When the patient sought help at a hospital, Anthony intrusively read her chart and was ultimately asked to leave by the staff. Despite these actions, Anthony still viewed himself as an infallible surgeon. The discussion then moves to Anthony’s personal life, highlighting his ongoing affair and infidelity towards Debbie.
The video also covers Anthony’s interest in a new breast augmentation procedure called TUBA, which involves inserting implants from the navel to the chest, avoiding typical scars around the armpits. Despite being unlicensed, Anthony only attended a short seminar instead of the recommended intensive week-long course to learn the procedure. He then planned to perform this surgery back in Buffalo. Sarah Smith, a vibrant 26-year-old woman living an ideal life, sought this surgery. Her husband Dan was dismissed by Anthony who seemed intent on conducting the procedure without proper supervision or qualifications.
00:09:00
In this part of the video, it details a tragic incident where Sarah was left on life support after a severe medical malpractice by Anthony, who lacked proper equipment and training. Sarah stopped breathing for 19 minutes, and the inadequate tools, including a coat hanger, worsened the situation. When Dan returned, he faced the heart-wrenching decision to take her off life support. Anthony was sentenced to only six months in jail and a fine but was permanently barred from practicing medicine. After his release, Anthony, now addicted to heroin, was still supported by his wife Debbie. However, she began experiencing severe health issues due to arsenic poisoning. Despite Anthony’s efforts to blame others, the poisoning was ultimately traced back to him.
00:12:00
In this segment, the video discusses a story from the book “Last Dance, Last Chance” by Ann Rule. The focus is on Anthony Pignataro, who staged break-ins and graffiti to create the illusion that Sarah Smith’s family was seeking revenge, although he was the true perpetrator. Numerous witnesses testified against Anthony, who was sentenced to 15 years for poisoning his wife, Debbie, with arsenic. Despite his imprisonment, Anthony continued his dubious activities after his release in 2013 by changing his name and starting a cosmetic company in Buffalo. Remarkably, Debbie survived the poisoning after a lengthy recovery process. The segment concludes by summarizing Debbie’s survival and the murder of Sarah Smith, encouraging viewers to share the video and read the book for more details.
00:15:00
In this segment, the speaker discusses the work of true crime writer Ann Rule, specifically her connection to Ted Bundy and her compelling writing. The speaker is surprised that many people are unaware of this connection and hints at a possible future episode on Ann Rule. Additionally, they emphasize the importance of researching before getting plastic surgery and share a personal note about using lotion for dry hands. They encourage viewers to stay safe, leave story suggestions in the comments, and promise to return with more content in a week.