Laszlo Toth

Laszlo Toth (b.1940), is a Hungarian-born Australian geologist who vandalised Michelangelo's Pietà statue on May 21, 1972.

Wielding a Geologist's hammer and shouting, "I am Jesus Christ — risen from the dead" [cite web
url = http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,905967,00.html | title = Can Italy be Saved from Itself? | accessdate = 2008-03-15 | publisher = [http://www.time.com/time TIME magazine] ] [cite web
url = http://www.guardian.co.uk/notesandqueries/query/0,5753,-2565,00.html | title = Notes and Queries: Whatever happened to Laszlo Toth, the man who smashed Michelangelo's Pieta in 1972? | accessdate = 2006-06-08 | publisher = [http://www.guardian.co.uk/ The Guardian] ] [cite web | last = Evers | first = Chia | authorlink = | year = 2006 | url = http://www.newsoftheodd.com/article1024.html | title = Laszlo Toth, "Jesus Christ," Attacks the Pieta (May 21, 1972) | work = Today in Odd History | publisher = News of the Odd | accessdate = 2006-06-08] , he attacked the statue, and removed the Virgin's arm at the elbow, knocked off a chunk of her nose, and chipped one of her eyelids. He was never charged with the crime, in view of his apparent insanity. On January 29, 1973, he was committed to an Italian psychiatric hospital. He was released on February 9, 1975, and was immediately deported to Australia where he had studied prior to the attack; Australian authorities did not detain him. He is believed to reside in Melbourne, Australia.fact|date=March 2008

Toth is the eponymous inspiration for books of letters by Don Novello. [cite web | year = 2003 | url = http://www.onthemedia.org/transcripts/transcripts_100303_lazlo.html | title = The Laszlo Letters (Don Novello interviewed by Bob Garfield) | work = On the Media | publisher = WNYC Radio | accessdate = 2006-06-08]

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